In compliance with Supreme Court directives, the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh has initiated the process for the draw of lots (Phase-VI) to allocate vending sites to eligible non-essential street vendors registered under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014. The corporation issued a public notice inviting objections, suggestions, or comments from the public regarding the proposed vending sites, which must be submitted in writing to the Vendor Cell, MC, by July 9.
Background and Supreme Court Ruling
The Supreme Court had quashed the Chandigarh Administration’s July 2020 notification that had categorized vendors selling items such as chhole bhature, kulche chhole, paratha, fruits, vegetables, and flowers outside religious places as essential service providers. As a result, these vendors are now to be relocated to zones identified for non-essential street vendors. The draw of lots will determine the allocation of these sites across various sectors of Chandigarh.
Committee Inspection of Vending Zones
A committee constituted by the MC to examine representations from members of the Town Vending Committee conducted an extensive inspection of designated vending zones across the city. The team was led by Himanshu Gupta, Joint Commissioner, Municipal Corporation Chandigarh, and included officials from the Department of Urban Planning, Chandigarh Traffic Police, Engineering Wing (B&R), Enforcement Wing, Vendor Cell, MC, and members of the Town Vending Committee, including Mukesh Giri, Ravinder Singh, Pawan Kumar, and Chanchal Rani.
During the inspection, the committee assessed existing conditions at vending zones, focusing on infrastructure, space availability, traffic circulation, pedestrian movement, accessibility, public convenience, and safety. The team reviewed site-specific issues affecting vending activities and interacted with vendors to understand their concerns and gather feedback. Special attention was given to the adequacy of vending space, parking arrangements, enforcement-related issues, and measures to improve overall management while ensuring public convenience and traffic discipline.
Next Steps and Report Preparation
The inspection forms part of the MC’s ongoing efforts to examine representations in a transparent and participative manner. Based on field observations, the committee will prepare a comprehensive report containing findings and recommendations, which will be submitted to the competent authority for further consideration and action. The public notice emphasizes that before the creation or notification of vending zones and the conduct of the draw, all objections and suggestions must be submitted by the stipulated deadline.
