Days after ‘reward’ from BBMP, street vendors face eviction

BENGALURU: Two days after SVANidhi programme held to honour eight street vendors who repaid Rs 10,000 loan each to the BBMP, the Palike has said it will now clear vendors from main road and sub-arterial roads in the city. The vendors association has slammed the BBMP over the decision.

Confirming the move, BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath said there is a provision in the law that street vendors should be empowered, but at the same time, hawkers cannot be allowed at main roads, footpaths, sub-arterial roads and outer ring roads.“If vendors are allowed in these places, they will attract pedestrians who will cross the roads which poses risk and hence they will be cleared from these roads,” said Girinath, adding, the vendors will be allowed at roads which have less traffic, especially during evening hours.

Terming the move “harassment”, the Bengaluru District Vendors Organisation said it would hit the vendors hard. The irony is that the statement comes two days after SVANidhi programme in which eight vendors were honoured for repaying Rs 10,000 loan to the Palike at an event which was held to encourage vendors to maintain cleanliness, package their food better and go digital.

“The government  does not want us to improve. When we suffered during the lockdown, instead of giving us financial assistance, they trapped us into loan business. To earn Rs 10,000, a person has to spend Rs 1,000, of which Rs 500 will be the interest amount and Rs 150 the surety bond. Now they want vendors to go away from roads. The Palike should not treat us like encroachers. We run our businesses for limited hours,” said S Babu, president, Bengaluru Zilla Beedi Vyaparigala Sanghatane.