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Street Vendors Act 2014 | (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) - UPSC NOTES

The Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs expressed concern about the slow implementation of the Street Vendors Act, 2014.
Amith

📰 Why in News?

  • The Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs expressed concern about the slow implementation of the Street Vendors Act, 2014.

  • Alongside, the revamped PAiSA Portal and PM SVANidhi Monitoring Portal were launched.

🧩 Background of the Act

  • India has over 50 lakh street vendors (as per estimates), forming a crucial part of the urban informal economy.

  • Before 2014, vendors were vulnerable to eviction, harassment, and bribery.

  • To ensure their livelihood security and regulate street vending in a balanced way, the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act was enacted in 2014.

🏛️ Key Features of the Act

🔹 Rights of Vendors

  • Every vendor has the right to vend, subject to conditions in the Certificate of Vending (CoV).

🔹 Duties of Vendors

  • Remove his goods and wares every day at the end of the time-sharing period allowed to him.

  • Maintain cleanliness and hygiene.

  • Pay maintenance charges for civic amenities.

🔹 Town Vending Committees (TVCs)

  • To be set up in every urban local body.

  • Responsible for surveying vendors, issuing CoVs, and demarcating vending zones.

  • Composition:

    • At least 40% street vendors

    • One-third women

    • Local authorities and NGO representatives.

🔹 Regular Surveys

  • Surveys to be conducted once every 5 years.

🔹 Ceiling on Vendor Numbers

  • Maximum vendors = 2.5% of the population of the ward/city.

🔹 Grievance Redressal Committees

  • Chaired by retired judicial officers for impartiality.

🔹 Seizure of Goods

  • Perishable goods must be released on the same day.

  • Non-perishable goods within 2 working days.

⚠️ Challenges in Implementation

1. ❌ Poor Implementation

  • After a decade, only 17 States have set up grievance redressal committees.

  • TVCs missing or poorly formed in many cities.

2. ❌ Unrealistic Vendor Limit

  • 2.5% ceiling doesn’t suit megacities like Delhi, Mumbai where informal markets are larger.

3. ❌ Railway Land Exclusion

  • Act does not apply to Railways land, which is a key area for vending.

4. ❌ Inconsistent Enforcement

  • Varying municipal rules have led to confusion and exclusion (e.g., use of domicile certificates in Mumbai).

🛤️ Recent Developments

🟢 PM SVANidhi Scheme (2020)

  • Provides collateral-free loans to street vendors.

  • Promotes digital payments and financial inclusion.

🟢 PAiSA Portal

  • Central platform to process interest subsidies under schemes like PM SVANidhi.

✅ Way Forward

🔧 Administrative Reforms

  • Revise ceiling on vendor numbers based on urban needs.

  • Ensure proper TVC composition with vendor representation.

  • Include street vending in Smart City planning.

👥 Vendor Welfare

  • Issue smartcards integrating CoV + ID data.

  • Include vendor laws in police training to avoid misuse.

  • Publish TVC Charters for transparency and timelines.

🚉 Infrastructure Suggestions

  • Create vending zones near railway stations.

  • Establish model vending zones ("Lighthouse Projects").

📌 UPSC Pointers

🔹 Prelims:

Q. Which Act provides legal protection to street vendors in India?
→ Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014

Q. What is the ceiling for the number of street vendors in a city as per the Act?
→ 2.5% of the population

🔹 Mains GS-II:

  • Role of urban informal sector

  • Challenges in urban governance

  • Implementation of welfare legislations

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