Ahmedabad: No hawker policy leaves 400 vendors in a lurch

Unrest has been growing among street vendors who have not been allowed to earn their livelihood for the last two months. The angry vendors rushed to the Karanj police station on Thursday, holding a rose in one hand and roti (bread) in another, to show their misery. According to them, they were being harassed and not allowed to operate their business near Lal Darwaja where they have traded for more than three decades.

"We are completely living under bhay (fear), bhukh (hunger) and bhrashtrachar (corruption). We are jobless, hungry and under the shadow of corruption. The police department and the civic body work as per their whims and fancies to implement law and order," said Ismail Qazi, leader of the Bhadra Pathana Bazar.

He further added that he has been selling items as a street vendor for more than 30 years near the plaza. "I have completed B.Ed., but never got a white-collar job and hence, was forced to do the street vendor's job to run my family. But for one year, the AMC and police have almost ruined our lives. We're not allowed to run the business there. For the last two months, whenever we try to go there, the police detain us," added the leader.

According to advocate Shamshad Pathan, there is no implementation of street vendors' policy. "The people have been surveyed twice in 2011 and in 2017, there is still a chaotic condition. These people have been running their business for generations and there was never a hurdle in traffic movement. Detaining them and seizing their goods is not the solution," said Pathan.

Dharmendra Sharma, DCP of zone two, said that some representatives met them on Thursday. "They came for representation regarding the area. The thing is, they were operating from the footpath and some, on the road, which was hampering traffic movement. That's why we have asked them not to use public space," said Sharma.

When contacted, Amul Bhatt, the standing committee chairman of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, said that due to Model Code of Conduct, a new policy cannot be formed. "There are certain things we are working on for street vendors. However, we cannot share that right now because of the elections," said Bhatt.

According to officials, the civic body is waiting for a policy from the state government. The state government is yet to frame a policy and giving alternate space will be considered only once the state makes a policy.

TROUBLED LOT

• Vendors say they have been doing their business near Lal Darwaja for years and two surveys related to the number of vendors have been carried.  One survey was done in 2011 and another in 2017
   
• According to officials, the civic body is waiting for a policy from the state government