MCC delays distribution of IDs to vendors

Mangaluru: Though the Town Vending Committee (TVC) of the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has identified nearly 700 street vendors in the city, they have not been issued identity cards as per the rules yet.
Identifying street vendors and issuing identity cards to them is mandatory as per the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act. However, the MCC has yet to complete the process of issuing identity cards to street vendors identified by the TVC.
Moreover, the TVC meeting has not been convened in the past nine years, said B K Imthiyaz, honorary president of Dakshina Kannada District Street Vendors Welfare Association. He told TOI that though the Act ensures the protection of the livelihood of street vendors, the authorities concerned, and people’s representatives have been showing apathy.
“The Town Vending Committee has identified 667 street vendors in the city. However, identity cards have not been distributed to them. A central government training program for street food vendors in the city was cancelled. The MCC should immediately convene a meeting with the TVC and take the necessary steps to distribute identity cards to all identified street vendors. A training programme will be conducted for street food vendors. A grievance committee headed by a retired judge should be set up to solve the problems of street vendors in the city,” Imthiyaz said. He added that the MCC should stop targeting authorized street vendors through raids.
He said street vendors in the city should not be deprived of their rights. Street vending is a part of society in every part of the world, he added.
MCC deputy commissioner (administration) Ravi Kumar M said, “A meeting of the TVC will be held if the mayor and commissioner give approval, and cards will be distributed to all identified street vendors soon.”