New Delhi: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is set to conduct elections for the formation of town vending committees (TVCs) by the end of July. Officials stated that the proposal requires approval from the House before the election schedule is finalized and a notification is issued.
Process and Timeline
“We will start the process as soon as the nod is received. We have informed the Delhi High Court that the elections would be conducted by July 21, so we are likely to complete the exercise around that timeline,” an official said. The civic body has completed a re-survey of pending street vendors and issued certificates of vending (CoVs).
Certificate Distribution Phases
In Phase I, 62,333 certificates were issued by December 31, 2021. However, since not all vendors were covered, the Delhi government directed a fresh survey. In the second phase, around 22,000 additional vendors were identified.
Functions of TVCs
The elected TVCs will have authority to prepare vending plans, identify vending spaces, relocate vendors from congestion-prone areas, create designated vending and no-vending zones, and address issues such as traffic disruption. In areas like Chandni Chowk and Sadar Bazaar, congestion caused by street vending remains a persistent concern. “However, these vending plans will have to be notified by the competent authority before implementation,” the official added.
Stakeholder Concerns
Arbind Singh of the National Association of Street Vendors of India emphasized the urgent need to constitute TVCs. “Even after obtaining CoVs, vendors continue to face problems on a daily basis, despite their activities being governed by the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act 2014 and the Delhi Street Vending Scheme 2019,” he said.
Committee Structure
Around 27 committees will be formed across the city. Each committee will comprise 12 elected vendor representatives, while the remaining members will include experts, representatives of resident welfare and market associations, and voluntary organizations.
Voter Eligibility
Only vendors holding valid CoVs will be eligible to vote in the elections, for which the MCD will prepare voter lists. The civic body has 250 wards across its 12 zones, and as per norms, at least one committee is to be formed for every eight wards.
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