Assam: Guwahati Municipal Corporation submits affidavit on street vending zones

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has submitted an affidavit to the Gauhati High Court, outlining the demarcation of 81 “street vending zones” to accommodate over 6,000 vendors. This move comes after two Public Interest Litigations (PILs) were filed regarding the accommodation of street vendors, a matter that has been pending in court for 8-10 years.

The 6,465 street vendors are to be accommodated in 81 designated zones, with a phased accommodation process to be overseen by the Town Vendor Committee, Vendors can avail loans under the PM SVANidhi scheme, with 75 zones notified as “free vending zones,” 3 as “mobile food vending zones,” 2 as “time vending zones,” and 1 as “fruit vending zone.”

The vending zones were notified under Section 18(1) of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihoods and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014. The GMC had received proposals from ward councilors, local vendors, and civil society members, selecting 2-3 zones from each of the 60 wards. The Town Vending Committee approved 81 out of the 130 proposed zones.

Only vendors registered under the PM SVANidhi scheme and receiving financial grants will be allowed to operate in the notified zones. The GMC will provide basic amenities like electricity, toilets, and drinking water based on specific zone requirements.

The GMC had notified 81 vending zones in March this year to eradicate Haphazard Street vending from city roads. The affidavit submission is a significant step towards resolving the long-pending issue of street vendor accommodation in Guwahati.

A GMC source said, “The zonal vending committee is formed in six zones: Central, Dispur, East, Lokhra, South, and West. And the committee includes the ward councillor, local vendors, civil society members, and others.” 

Also Read: Letters to the EDITOR: Impact of street vending on Guwahati (sentinelassam.com)

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