A city-based street vendors' union has written to Chief Minister Siddaramiah demanding increased compensation and rehabilitation efforts for street vendors who lost their lives when the wall of Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital collapsed on Wednesday.
Demand for Higher Compensation
The Karnataka PragatiPara Beedhi Vyaparigala Sangha on Sunday demanded that the compensation for those who died be raised from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh. The union argued that many injured vendors would need several months to recover and resume their livelihoods, and thus sought a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for each injured person.
Safe Vending Spaces
The union also urged the government to hold immediate consultations with street vendors to identify and allocate safe and viable vending spaces. They emphasized that several vendors had suffered loss of goods and working capital due to the incident.
Climate Change Impact on Informal Workers
The union called on the state government and the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) to urgently convene a meeting to discuss the adverse effects of climate change on informal workers, including street vendors, gig and platform workers, pourakarmikas, and others.
