CM Modern Street Vending Market Yojana: Rs 80 cr set aside to regulate street vending activities, safeguard vendors’ livelihood in Gujarat
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Context
The Gujarat government has allocated Rs 80 crore for the 'CM Modern Street Vending Market Yojana' to regulate street vending and safeguard vendors' livelihoods. This initiative involves conducting surveys and developing modern, well-equipped markets at 43 locations. The announcement comes in response to legislative concerns about the non-implementation of the national street vending policy and the alleged harassment of vendors by officials.
UPSC Perspectives
Governance
This scheme is a state-level attempt to implement the [Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014], a landmark central legislation. The Act was designed to move from a punitive to a protective approach, recognizing street vending as a legitimate livelihood. Its core institutional mechanism is the [Town Vending Committees (TVCs)], which are mandated in every local authority to be the primary decision-making body for all matters concerning street vendors. These committees are responsible for conducting surveys, issuing certificates of vending, and developing vending plans. Crucially, the Act mandates a participatory structure, with at least 40% of TVC members being elected street vendor representatives. The situation in Gujarat, where an MLA highlighted non-implementation and harassment, points to a common governance failure across India, where the Act's provisions are often subverted by bureaucratic apathy or a conflict with other urban development models like 'Smart Cities'. This scheme, by focusing on surveys and designated markets, directly addresses the core mandates of the Act.
Economic
Street vendors are a vital component of the urban informal economy, providing employment to millions and making goods and services affordable for the urban population. However, their contribution is often unrecognized, and they face significant economic precarity. The Gujarat scheme represents a step towards the partial formalization of this sector. By creating designated markets with basic facilities, it aims to provide vendors with physical and legal security, which can enhance their earnings and stability. This aligns with the objectives of national schemes like [PM SVANidhi] (PM Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi), a micro-credit facility launched to provide collateral-free working capital loans to street vendors to help them become self-reliant. While formalization offers benefits like access to credit and social security, it also presents challenges. The process must be inclusive, ensuring that surveys do not exclude any genuine vendors and that the costs associated with operating in the new markets are not prohibitive for the poorest vendors.
Social Justice & Urban Planning
The issue of street vending is deeply linked to the concept of 'right to the city' and the challenge of creating inclusive urban spaces. Vendors are often perceived as 'encroachments' and are in constant conflict with municipal authorities and resident welfare associations, who prioritize aesthetics and traffic flow. The judicial interpretation of [Article 21] (Right to Life) has often been expanded to include the Right to Livelihood, forming the legal basis for protecting vendors. The 2014 Act sought to legally resolve this conflict by balancing regulation with protection. Gujarat's plan to create 43 modern vending markets is a progressive urban planning strategy. Instead of simply evicting vendors, it aims to integrate them into the urban landscape. This approach acknowledges vendors as legitimate city stakeholders and moves towards a more equitable and socially just model of urban development, addressing harassment by [Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)] and providing a framework for peaceful coexistence.