Restriction on Street Vendors : Violation of Article 21
13th February 2020
RESTRICTION ON STREET VENDORS Violation of Article 21, “Right to Live and Personal Liberty”
Youth’s Forum for Protection of Human Rights (YFPHR) drew the attention of the Hon'ble Chief Minister through a communication letter with regard to the ongoing issue of Street Vendors of Khwairamban Keithel. A letter submitted to the office of the Hon'ble mentioned the points as cited under:
1. Since the 15th of January 2020, the street vendors of Khwairamban Keithel are not allowed to sell any products for the last 29 days till the submission of this letter which has now become a threat to their livelihood.
2. It could be learned that there are more than 2000 women Street Vendors earning their daily basic livelihood for their survival and to meet the daily needs of their family and children. The street vendors earn minimum of Rs. 200/- and Rs. 400 – Rs. 500/- at the maximum which is once in a blue moon. Since not allowing the vending by the Government they are facing the hardship to meet their daily basic needs.
3. Taking the opportunity of the situation we further learned that a sum of Rs. 1,300/- to Rs. 2,000/- are now being collected from these suffering women in the name of issuing Street Vendor’s ID Card by some women among the street vendors being an agent of an unknown person assuring the same which is in need to be identified at the earliest.
4. This was not the ultimate issue, earlier too a sum of Rs. 250/- to Rs. 500/- were informed to have been collected to obtain a street vendor card and nothing such happened till date.
5. In order to meet the daily requirements since not allowing the vending, numbers of women are observed to have borrowed money from the money lenders and are now facing the hardship to repay the money as their daily earnings have been stopped.
Number of them could not pay the school admission fees at this peak hours of admission period which automatically leads to violation of Right to Education of a child.
Many have complained on fear of not able to send their children for the upcoming examination BOSEM and HSLC due to not able to bear the transportation fees as a result of not allowing the street vending.
Aforementioned are few facts and many untold stories are left aside without being addressed by the state.
Understanding the facts and the circumstances as cited above, we laid down few area of urgent attention:
1. Kindly allow the Street Vending at the earliest to avoid violations of one’s livelihood.
2. Kindly direct the Police department to investigate on the collection of cash from the street vendors in the name of issuing Street Vendor’s ID Card.
3. Kindly provide compensation for the entire period until allowing the Street vending.
4. Kindly conduct a thorough scrutiny and indentify the real Street Vendors.
5. Kindly formulate proper Street Vendor Policy.
6. Urge your good self to kindly conduct a survey on the cause of multiplication of the Street Vendors in the state of Manipur.
(Kh Phajaton)
President
Youth’s Forum for Protection of Human Rights (YFPHR)
* This Press Release was sent to e-pao.net by Youth’s Forum for Protection of Human Rights (YFPHR) who can be contacted at youthforum(DOT)humanrights(AT)gmail(DOT)com
This Press Release was posted on 14th February 2020
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