New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the authorities not to harass street vendors in the national capital or remove them and sought a response on the matter from various government authorities and bodies.
The court was hearing a plea by Congress leader Ajay Maken who claimed unlawful and arbitrary action against vendors or hawkers by the authorities concerned and sought court directions for no action against them till the completion of a survey of the existing vendors.
A division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal also directed the Delhi Lt. Governor, state government, Police Commissioner, New Delhi Municipal Council and other civic bodies to file their responses on the plea.
The petitioner sought directions to authorities concerned that as per the Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending Act, no street vendor in Delhi shall be disturbed or evicted till the completion of the survey of the existing vendors and issuance of the Certificate of Vending as per a Delhi government scheme.
The plea said: “The civic bodies have neglected Section 3.3 of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, which states that no street vendor shall be evicted or relocated till a survey has been completed and the certificate of vending issued to all vendors.”
Despite unambiguous provisions of the Act and clear court directions, authorities have proceeded to illegally evict over 500 street vendors on August 17, said the plea.
IANS