STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The recent drives carried out by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) in various areas to evict unauthorized street vendors from pavements and roadsides have been welcomed by conscious citizens. However, there is a flip side to the issue.
A section of street vendors are aggrieved at the fact that they are being harassed even though they are trying to earn an honest livelihood amid the financial crisis created by COVID-19. Worse still, they allege that some persons collect daily, weekly or monthly 'tax' from them, ostensibly on behalf of the GMC. The vendors say that they will face daily harassment if they do not pay this so-called 'tax', as opposed to periodic eviction by the proper GMC authorities.
It may be mentioned that the Assam Legislative Assembly had enacted 'The Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending Act, 2014'. Subsequently, the GMC had started a 'Designated Vending Zone' opposite its office premises in 2015. However, vendors were evicted from that area in 2016 in violation of 'The Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending Act, 2014'.
An alternative vending zone has not been provided so far, forcing many vendors to squat on the pavements and roadsides. In other words, the law enacted by the Assam Legislative Assembly has not been implemented at all.
It may be mentioned that according to a survey conducted in 2014-2015, there were 7,182 street vendors in the GMC area in 2015. These included 2044 vegetable vendors, 1,163 areca nut/paan vendors, 727 cloth vendors, 661 fruit vendors, 497 food vendors, 194 fish vendors, 183 small vendors, 82 meat vendors and 1,631 other vendors.
There is little doubt that the number of street vendors in the GMC area has increased manifold in the last six years.
The vendors now want the GMC to work out a system which will enable them to earn their livelihood in peace while maintaining the required levels of civic hygiene and ease of traffic movement.
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