NEW DELHI: The city’s street vendors held a protest outside the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Monday demanding the formation of a Town Voting Committee (TVC) and protection against removal from their designated spots.
In a letter to the municipal commissioner, the protestors, which included a significant number of cart vendors, have put forward an exhaustive list of demands. These include immediate instruction to all municipal officers not to take any illegal action against vendors.
The vendors have also demanded regular meetings of the Town Vending Committee (TVC) in all zones of the MCD and that all decisions related to street vendors by the municipal corporation be taken with the consent of the TVC.
In addition, until proper vending zones are established in Delhi, temporary vending zones should be created in collaboration with TVC.
Another demand was for the municipality to cease issuing fines under Sections 357 and 397 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, on street vendors. The vendors say that this violates the Street Vendors Act, 2014, which states that only the Street Vendors Act, 2014, will be applicable after May 1, 2014.
Protesters have also suggested continuous dialogue with municipal officials to resolve the issues of street vendors. Arvind Singh, a representative of the street vendors’ association said, “All our demands are legitimate. Better policies should be formulated for street vendors. They should not be harassed unnecessarily. The process of forming the TVC should also be ensured soon. We have already held discussions with municipal officials regarding these matters.”
MCD extends deadline for geo-tagging properties
The MCD has extended the last date for geo-tagging of properties till June 30, in a move to give another opportunity to taxpayers to register their property with the civic body, an official order said on Monday. The extension has been given as a large number of taxpayers were not able to register their properties at the MCD portal due to technical glitches or other issues, the order said. If a taxpayer fails to geo-tag their property, they cannot avail the rebate on the lumpsum tax payment by June 30 in the current financial year, the notice added.