Implementing the Street Vendors Act (SVA)

Context (TH): Even after a decade of passing SVA, there have been numerous challenges in its implementation.
SVA was celebrated as a progressive legislation.

Challenges in the Implementation of the SVA

Increase in harassment and evictions of street vendors despite the Act’s emphasis on protection and regulation.
- Outdated bureaucratic mindset views vendors as illegal entities.
Lack of awareness and sensitisation about the Act among state authorities, the public, and vendors.
Limited influence of street vendor representatives in Town Vending Committees (TVCs), often remaining under the control of local city authorities.
- Tokenistic representation of women vendors in TVCs.

The current urban governance mechanisms are weak and inadequate, highlighting the urgent need for improvement.
It is not integrated with the framework established by the 74^th Constitutional Amendment Act (CAA) for urban governance.
Insufficient powers and capacities of ULBs.
Focus on top-down policies like the Smart Cities Mission on infrastructure development, ignoring provisions for the inclusion of street vendors in city planning.

The prevailing image of the ‘world-class city’ tends to be exclusionary.
Street vendors are marginalised and stigmatised as obstacles to urban development rather than legitimate contributors to the urban economy.
Reflection of these challenges in city designs, urban policies, and public perceptions of neighbourhoods.

Decentralization of Interventions: There’s a need to decentralise interventions and enhance the capacities of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to plan for street vending in cities.
Shift from Department-led Actions to Deliberative Processes: It is crucial to shift from high-handed department-led actions to deliberative processes at the TVC level.
Amendments to Urban Schemes and Policies: Urban schemes, city planning guidelines, and policies need to be amended to include provisions for street vending.
Need-based Welfare Provisions: The Act’s welfare provisions should help vendors tackle challenges like climate change, e-commerce competition, and income reductions.
Adaptation in National Urban Livelihood Mission: The Urban Livelihood Mission’s street vendor section should adapt to new realities and encourage innovative solutions.

The Act defines a “street vendor” as a person engaged in vending of articles of everyday use or offering services to the general public in any public place or private area, from a temporary built-up structure or by moving from place to place.
Its primary objective is to safeguard the rights of urban street vendors and regulate their activities.
It was to be implemented with State-level rules and schemes, which are executed by urban local bodies (ULBs) through by-laws, planning, and regulation.
The Act meticulously outlines the roles and responsibilities of both vendors and various levels of government, providing a clear framework for their interactions.
It establishes a participatory governance structure through Town Vending Committees (TVCs).
- Street vendor representatives must constitute 40% of TVC members, with a sub-representation of 33% of women SVs.
- TVCs are tasked with ensuring the inclusion of all existing vendors in vending zones.
It also outlines mechanisms for addressing grievances and disputes.
- It proposes the establishment of a Grievance Redressal Committee chaired by a civil judge or judicial magistrate.
It provides that the States/ULBs survey to identify SVs at least once every five years.

Role of Street Vendors: Street vendors constitute about 2.5% of any city’s population and play multifaceted roles in city life, providing essential services, modest income for migrants and the urban poor, and affordable goods for others.
- According to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, there are around 10 million street vendors in India.
Integral to Urban Life: Street vendors are essential for maintaining affordability and accessibility to food, nutrition, and goods distribution
They are an integral part of Indian culture. For ex-, Imagine Mumbai without its vada pav or Chennai without its roadside dosa.