Smart management of street vendors in Srinagar in the offing

Consultants are being roped in by the Srinagar administration for smart management of street vendors in the city, a plan aimed at reducing indiscriminate encroachment of public spaces and improving condition of street vendors.

An official spokesman said on Sunday that the plan involves relocation and re-arrangement of street vendors based on a comprehensive management plan to regulate their manner of operation.

The plan is aimed at reducing ill-effects of indiscriminate occupation of public spaces and to improve the condition of street vendors.

He said the plan also includes smart solutions to the problem of unregulated vending, bringing registered street vendors under the ambit of an organised sector involved in business, giving them space and opportunities where their trade and conditions can flourish.

"This involves validation of their operation through smart registration -- after proper verification based on data collected anew about genuine vendors involved in street vending business -- and promotion of their markets and trades through different means and measures," the spokesman said.

He said this was being done in association with the Srinagar Smart City Limited (SSCL) which is engaging with stakeholders and involving experts to formulate a well thought-out and workable plan which has a clear understanding of issues involved and aims to find smart and sustainable solutions to them.

The SSCL on Saturday organised an all-stakeholders workshop wherein extensive discussions were held on the subject highlighting problems unregulated street vending presents and concerns of street vendors and emphasising the need for serious measures to tackle this issue in a manner that is sustainable, the spokesman said.

Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, who is also the Chief Executive Officer SSCL, gave a detailed presentation on what the Srinagar administration in association with the SSCL is looking to do in the area of street vendor management and also securing the livelihood and improving conditions of street vendors.

"The plan includes coverage of registered street vendors in Srinagar city under various social security schemes including pension and insurance. The registered street vendors will be given smart cards that will enable easier identification," he said, adding the aim is to prevent existence of bogus vendors and proliferation.

Srinagar city will be divided into three zones, including one where no street vending would be allowed and restricted and restrictions-free zones where street vending markets will be established and registered street vendors allowed to operate as per terms thereof.