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Women vendors partake in the International Street Vendors day at Kohima on Wednesday, November 12.[/caption]
Our Correspondent
Kohima, Nov. 14 (EMN): The government of Nagaland has approved the Central Bill on Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act 2014 that was passed by the Parliament of India in early 2014 and waiting for publication in the official gazette.
This was confirmed to Eastern Mirror by officials from the State Urban Development Agency (SUDA) under Urban Development department. The source said that the agency is awaiting final notification for implementation.
The Bill was enacted to protect the livelihood rights of street vendors as well as regulate street vending through demarcation of vending zones, conditions for and restriction on street vending. Besides other provisions, the Act has several provisions to social security and humanitarian rights, which recognises street vendors as important members of the urban economy and guaranteeing them of consideration and representation in urban planning process.
With the state yet to implement the Act, the street vendors, especially the women folks whose contributions to the local economy remains largely invisible, as they are ignored both by the authorities and the public, continue to operate their trade in open spaces.
In the absence of a proper infrastructure for the vendors and a designated space for them, the street vendors, who are considered as ‘nuisance’ by many, run their business reeling under constant pressure of being evicted from the footpaths, streets and any available space along the stretch of the capital town.
These women also sit under the sun, wind and rain in most unhygienic places without basic facilities like toilet and drinking water just to earn few hundreds to feed their families.
Celebrating the International Street Vendors Day on Wednesday, 180 women vendors from various parts of Kohima town and villages converged at Supermarket, Kohima for a get-together as well as sell their products, which are mostly local produce.
Women vending in various locations in Supermarket, Bamboo Market, TCP gate, Phoolbari, Razhü Point, Keziekie, UT, Midland and Kenuozou, and even from the villages of Phekerükriema, Ziezou, Jotsoma, Rüsoma and Chiechama came to the state capital observe the day.
The programme was organised by the Self Employed Women Association Kohima (SEWA) and supported by North East Network (NEN). Posters that read “Imagine a city without us,” “Recognise street vending as a livelihood measure in urban poverty alleviation,” “Include women street vendors in smart city plan,” “Street vending - an important source of employment for the urban poor,” “I sell and I need (space) (shade) because we will share” etc were put up at the gathering location.
It may be mentioned that an independent survey carried out in and around the state capital has revealed that there are about 300 street vendors, wherein majority are women, and their income is about INR 300-500 per day.
An official from the urban development, who wished to remain anonymous, said that “Our authorities are yet to understand the importance of street vendors” and observed with regret that at present street vending is not hygienic.
The official opined that they needn’t be chased away or relocated to another location where it might have an adverse effect on their economic income. Rather, the official suggested that a proper strategic location be allocated to them to facilitate both the vendors as well as the public.
But there is no relief in sight for the street vendors it is learned that acquisition of land from private parties is a major hindrance for demarcation of vending zones or markets for them.
An official from SUDA said nothing much could be done for the street vendors at the moment as the implementation of the Act is still awaited, but added that it is constructing vendor’s market in Dimapur, Phek, Wokha and Mokokchung to facilitate them.
The Urban Development department (municipal administration cell) through a notification dated Nov. 12, 2014 had informed that “as provided at Chapter 4.5 of the National Policy on Urban Streets Vendors, 2009 of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Government of India, the government of Nagaland is pleased to constitute a Town Vending Committee (TVC) in all Municipal Councils and Town Councils in Nagaland for designation or demarcation of restriction-free vending zones, restricted vending zones, no vending zones and vendors markets.”
However, when contacted, an official said that no TVC has been constituted till now, except in Dimapur and Phek in the month of October but nothing concrete has been formulated till now.
