BENGALURU: With just four days left for the conclusion of a survey to identify street vendors in the city, the Bengaluru Jilla Beedhi Vyapari Sanghatanegala Okkuta is crying foul that vendors are unaware such an exercise being taken up.
The BBMP has allocated `2 crore in the 2017-18 budget for the Union government’s Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission though the state government is yet to notify rules under the Street Vendor Act, 2014. Identified street vendors in the city stand to get credit and storage space for their push carts and wares. An exercise to identify the beneficiaries started on Sunday but only in four of the eight zones in the city. Also, not many vendors seem to be aware of the exercise.
Under the scheme, they will be given ID cards that will insulate them from eviction. BBMP Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad had also promised toilets, drinking water and lockers for street vendors.
The Okkuta members visited Dasarahalli zone on Sunday and found that vendors were unaware of the survey and that surveyors hadn’t visited some places. The organisation has demanded that BBMP officials in Dasarahalli zone must carry on the survey for a few more days to ensure that all street vendors are covered. Each vending zone must be covered twice — once in the morning, once in the evening, they demanded.
While the head office shot off a circular to the zonal offices to conduct the survey, there are no guidelines on how to staff the exercise, said an official at a zonal office. BBMP’s East, West and South zones have not started the survey though BBMP wanted it to be wrapped up by September 25.
Bommanahalli zone welfare officer Joseph A, said, “We have registered 1,450 street vendors in all 16 wards of Bommanahalli zone. Another 75 street vendors visited our office to register themselves. In each ward, we have employed seven surveyors. I think we will be able to wrap it up by Monday.”
West zone welfare officer Lalitha P said that they are yet to print application forms.