Mumbai, Aug 3 (IANS) After the Bombay High Court's order to remove street vendors from the streets, the Maharashtra government and the Mumbai Municipal Corporation have swung into action.
The government and the municipal corporation are following the court's order and removing the hawkers from the streets. After this, politics has intensified on this issue in entire Maharashtra.
On this issue, SP's Maharashtra state president Abu Azmi has requested the government to provide space to these hawkers as per the Vendor Act of 2014.
He said- Unemployment is increasing day by day in our country. There has never been so much unemployment in the last twenty-five-thirty years. Now, as per the High Court order, people who set up hawkers on the streets, sell vegetables, live outside the station, such people who work on the streets in Andheri, Bandra, Mohammed Ali Road, Colaba are being removed. As per the Vendor Act of 2014, all these hawkers were to be localized and given space so that they could earn their livelihood. If the government cannot give government jobs to everyone, then as per the Vendor Act, everyone was to be localized and given space to do business.
Along with this, he also highlighted the increasing poverty in the country and the ration being provided to 80 crore people.
He said that I think a great injustice is being done to these people. People of this country are not able to feed themselves. 80 crore people of the country get five kilos of ration, which is enough to run their household. This is injustice to the people living below the poverty line. I request the government to obey the High Court's order but before that a place should be ensured for the vendors. So that all the people can earn their livelihood by doing their business.
He also warned the government about increasing crime rate with rising unemployment.
He said, “If this is not done, unemployment will increase, and when unemployment increases, crime will increase. A dying man will do anything. It is said that as long as a hungry man remains, there will be chaos on the streets. The government should seriously think about hawkers. Instead of robbing these people, they should be settled and arrangements should be made for their livelihood. The government and the Municipal Corporation are removing hawkers from the streets following the court order, but why were these hawkers not regulated earlier under the 2014 Street Vendor Act? Why were they not registered and given a place to do business? The government cannot provide employment, and they are also being prevented from doing business on the street, in such a situation, if they are forced to turn to crime, then who will be responsible?”
—IANS
PSM/GKT
