Rohit Kumar
Port Blair, 25 November 2022
Two shops of licensed street vendors were allegedly destroyed on the order of some Revenue Official this morning at Haddo, Opposite Hindi Medium Primary School.
One of the street vendors used to sell breakfast and the other one used to sell fast food. These street vendors possessed valid Street Vending License issued by PMBC and they regularly paid the fees for garbage collection every month to PBMC.
Apart from a valid Street Vending license, these street vendors also held a valid license from FSSAI.
The vendors informed the media that no prior intimation was given to them and the labourers just barged in and asked them to remove their shop.
Residents and Social Workers informed that the street vendors had not encroached upon any Govt. Land and were running their shop at the roadside without any interference to the moving traffic.
Govt. of India has been promoting self-employment through street vending and a Special Micro-Credit Facility has also been launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, named PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi).
One of the street vendors whose shop was destroyed was also a beneficiary of PM SVANidhi.
If the authorities of Andaman and Nicobar Administration do not start respecting self-employment ventures such as streets shop selling food, it would be very difficult for people to earn their living.
Street Vendors should be respected and if there is any issue with their stall or roadside shop, prior notice and warning should be given instead of barging in and breaking their shops.
This incident where two shops of street vendors were destroyed should be investigated and adequate compensation should be provided to these street vendors so that they can restart their businesses.