Gurugram Street Vendors Protest Eviction Drives, Seek Protection Under 2014 Law

A large group of street vendors and daily-wage workers protested outside the office of the Gurugram Municipal Commissioner on Thursday, opposing what they described as arbitrary eviction drives and bulldozer action that, they said, threatened their livelihoods.

The protest was organised by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and the Rehri-Patri Mazdoor Union. The vendors took out a procession through the city before gathering at the Municipal Commissioner’s office, where they submitted a memorandum of demands to the Joint Commissioner.

Addressing the gathering, CITU State general secretary Jai Bhagwan and Rehri-Patri Mazdoor Union Gurugram president Ashok Singh, among others, said the government had no right to destroy the livelihoods of people engaged in self-employment when it had not provided adequate employment opportunities. The leaders said street vending was a legitimate form of self-employment and required protection under the law.

The union leaders referred to the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014. Under the Act, street vendors may constitute up to 2.5 per cent of a city’s population, and municipal authorities are required to conduct surveys, identify vendors, and designate vending zones. According to the unions, an administrative survey had identified around 40,000 street vendors in Gurugram, and vending zones had been designated for them.

The protesters alleged that although many vendors had registered themselves, thousands of families continued to face eviction. They said bulldozers were being used to remove carts and goods worth lakhs of rupees, and that existing vending zones were also being dismantled. The allegations could not be independently verified.

The leaders also alleged that the Town Vending Committee (TVC), constituted under the 2014 Act, had not met for nearly three years, despite the law requiring it to meet at least once every three months. The Municipal Commissioner is the chairman of the TVC, and the unions said the committee should be convened immediately to address the vendors’ grievances.

The memorandum submitted to the Joint Commissioner put forward several demands. The protesters sought an immediate stop to arbitrary action against vendors. They asked that existing vending zones be protected until alternative arrangements are made, and that new vending zones be developed.

They also demanded time-bound disposal of pending Certificates of Vending and renewals, an inquiry into alleged irregularities in the certification process, and protection of eligible vendors, including beneficiaries of the PM-SVANidhi scheme. The union further asked the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority, Haryana Sehri Vikas Pradhikaran and other departments to comply with the Street Vendors Act and decisions of the TVC.

The Street Vendors Act, 2014, was enacted to protect the rights of urban street vendors and regulate vending activities. It provides for survey of vendors, issuance of certificates of vending, and creation of vending zones. It also mandates periodic meetings of the Town Vending Committee to ensure that vendors’ concerns are addressed. The Act is intended to balance the livelihood needs of vendors with urban planning and public space management. Street vending remains a major source of informal employment in Indian cities, and its regulation has been a long-standing issue for municipal bodies.

A meeting between union representatives and the Municipal Commissioner has been scheduled for September 16 to discuss the demands raised in the memorandum. The outcome of the protest and the scheduled meeting is awaited.