How street biz gets legit

Anew law that aims at regularising street shops in Chandigarh may have come under criticism for the likelihood of making Sector 17 a no-vending zone, thereby affecting the livelihood of the hawkers squatting over there, but not all "small businesspeople" are complaining. The streets sellers in most other sectors are happy that the estate office will not hound them anymore.

With the registration fee and forms in their hands, the hawkers operating out of municipal wards 6, 7, and 8 lined up at Mahila Bhawan, Sector 38, on Monday. Nearly 100 vendors who work at the urban villages of Dadumajra and Maloya, besides southern sectors 37, 38, and 38 West, were at the venue to sign up under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act.

From the women who sell cosmetics to those who have fruit carts were of the view that the Act would

end their miseries. Dadumajra villager Amit Kumar (42) and his wife, Saroj (42), were also in attendance. "Earlier, there was no provision for people such as us," Amit, who claims to be selling vegetables at Dadumajra for 25 years, said. "I won't mind paying a rent to escape the troubles that the estate office teams cause us."

If Amit sells vegetables, his wife hawks cosmetics on a Dadumajra roadside. "At least now I will have a permanent spot from where I can sell my wares. The government has been helpful indeed," she says. "Earlier, I'd get into trouble because my stall was in the way of traffic."

The husband-wife team claimed to have faced no problems in registration. "About 18 months ago, they carried out a vendor survey. We got a message, later, that they have put us on the list of vendors to be registered," Amit said.

End of woes?

So far, the municipal corporation has signed up nearly 2,400 vendors and collected Rs 40 lakh as registration fee. The process has finished in wards 1 to 5, which covers Sectors 1 to 19, 21 to 23, 36, and colonies under Khuda Lahora village. With the identification of 16,500 vendors, the fee collection is expected to rise multifold.

Sector-37 fruit-seller Sunil, 23, who was in the queue for registration, said: "Earlier, all street vendors bribed the estate-office teams to keep their spots and yet were harassed. At least now, this won't happen. Each of us paid Rs 400 a week as bribe, while now we just pay Rs 1,200 a month and be assured that no one will trouble us."

A street vendor for eight years, Sunil bombarded Amit with questions: "Have you also received the survey alert over mobile phone? Will an Aadhaar card suffice for registration?"

The senior vendor reciprocated with a nod: "The government sent me a message indeed."

Jitters in sec 17

For the street vendors of Sector 17, the future seems uncertain. Vijay Kumar, who sells sweet potatoes, said the Act would kill the livelihoods of many "poor people". "I have signed up but what's the use of paying Rs 2,200 to the MC if it moves us to let's say Sector 25. The money we make here we can't make in any other part of the city. Who will come to Sector 25 looking for my street food?"

A woman hawker at the next stall, Sunaina of Sector 26, said her family had hawked in Sector 17 since a road ran in front of Neelam cinema house. "The stall I inherited from my father 10 years ago is going to disappear," she said.

A little away from the stalls, black banners seeking "implementation of the no-vending zone rule" hang outside the city centre showrooms. And at barely 10 feet, hawkers were selling jackets and woollens. "Look how lively the Plaza looks with us," Vijay said. "Will it be the same later?"