Street vendors urge Corporation to revise list of vending zones in Chennai
The identified places have not been discussed with the committee members. So they have decided to submit a petition to the commissioner to revise the vending areas in all the 15 zones.
CHENNAI: The finalised vending and non-vending zone list by the civic body for street hawkers has not been welcomed among the vendors.
Members of the town vending committee stated that the Corporation has listed various commercial hubs under the non-vending areas, which would affect their businesses.
The identified places have not been discussed with the committee members. So they have decided to submit a petition to the commissioner to revise the vending areas in all the 15 zones.
“After the town vending committee election in April 2023, the Corporation organised a meeting with the zonal chairman and vendors’ associations. Based on the reports provided by the zonal level officers and council chairpersons of each zone, the list of vending and non-vending areas has been finalised. There was no discussion among the elected members of the committee,” said P Karunanidhi, general secretary, Chennai Street Vendors Association. “The Corporation urged us to provide feedback within a week. It wasn’t enough time to visit the vending areas across the city. Also, there was no facility provided for the committee members for a field visit.”
As per the list, street vendors should shift to the areas mentioned under the zones, but vendors pointed out that the chosen areas were mostly in the interior places.
Several commercial areas including NSC Bose Road and Besant Nagar have not been listed and no alternative place provided to hundreds of vendors in several areas which does not fall in both vending and non-vending zones.
“Livelihoods will be affected if the civic body fails to take any steps as they are dependent on these businesses for over 20 years. There was no discussion with the town vending committee members regarding the area identification,” pointed out S Kannan, a street vendor in Pondy Bazaar, one of the representatives of the committee.
The committee members and association in the city will submit a petition to Corporation Commissioner Radhakrishnan to give sufficient time to identify places in vending and non-vending zones. Also, revise the areas based on their report and suggestions.
“Though the vending zones are finalised, vendors are not satisfied with the list. If the committee members give a petition it will be considered,” said Radhakrishnan.