In a first, Delhi High Court judges to hold meeting on street vending issues in capital’s markets

The division bench of Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Jasmeet Singh has, for the past few weeks, been hearing the petitions on street vending in the national capital, and has pulled up authorities for not having a plan in place as required under the law and for allowing street vendors to function even in markets declared no-hawking zones. The court has been hearing petitions of traders’ bodies of various markets as well as those filed by the street vendors.

The court Wednesday said that there seems to be some “disconnect” and the officials are probably not applying their minds or have not understood the way the Act is to be implemented.

“We just want to understand why we are having this problem every time. We want to understand from them and give our understanding. Maybe they have a different perspective. You are just not working the Act the way it is supposed to work. The whole purpose of the Act is to regulate it (vending). You are not doing that.

The way it is supposed to be done. On the contrary, you are going about creating more and more confusion,” said the bench.

Referring to Chandni Chowk, the court said it is impossible to walk in such markets today. “The whole place has been redone. You are all claiming credit for having this work done. And what has it been reduced to? Again we have all the areas encroached, the whole place is unhygienic. What is the point of doing this exercise then? It should have been left as it was,” it told the government.

Senior advocate Rahul Mehra, representing the government, said the situation has improved. The court said that even after redevelopment, if street vending is not regulated, it will go back to the previous state.

While the court will meet the officers concerned with implementation of the Act, it has also asked lawyers including of delhi government to remain present during the meeting that will be held in the court’s conference hall.