Ranchi: Union Minister of State for Defence and Ranchi MP Sanjay Seth on Tuesday launched the "Namo Stall" initiative in Ranchi under the PM SVANidhi Scheme, in the presence of other BJP ministers. In the initial phase, pushcarts equipped with storage capacity and weighing scales were distributed to 5 percent of street vendors.
Objective of the Initiative
Seth stated that the initiative aims to enhance the working conditions of vendors as Ranchi continues to grow. "As Ranchi is expanding, we want every colony to have such pushcarts, so that vendors do not have to sit near gutters or roads, which is hazardous to their health and that of consumers, and also prevents traffic congestion," he explained.
Future Plans for Namo Stalls
Calling it a first step toward improving vendors' livelihoods, Seth announced that the government plans to install solar cells on each pushcart to generate electricity for LED lights and mobile charging. He added that sheds have been provided to protect both customers and sellers from rain and sunlight.
Seth emphasized that the contact information of each vendor will be displayed on the stall and cannot be changed, nor can the stall be sold, for five years. "We are starting with this Namo Stall and giving pushcarts to only 5 vendors initially, but this number will increase tenfold later," he said.
Support from Municipal Authorities
Ranchi Mayor Roshni Khalkho expressed gratitude to the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) for their support. "We are grateful to RMC for helping us with this project, and we hope that every ward will soon have Namo Stalls," she said.
