Six issues troubling survey of street vendors in Bengaluru

Implementing street vendor bill needs street vendor survey to be completed. What are the problems hindering the survey? How to address them?

The survey of street vendors in south zone was to have taken place in the south zone between 25th September and 28th September.

The survey has started in several wards but is not complete and in fact has been called off. Additionally there are several issues in how it has been done. In Some wards like ward 170, it has happened as per guidelines however in a lot of other places its not done.

Here are some issues:
1) Not enough forms: In ward 123 and 168, there have not been enough forms. We are not sure if the forms will be given and when the survey will be complete. Please do direct the junior health inspectors to complete the survey.
2) Inclusion of non street vendors: In ward 124, the surveyors, instead of filling the form at the vending place, sat at a place some distance away from the vending area and filled forms of various people without checking if they are vendors or not. Please do make sure that there is a inspection of forms and vendors in this ward.
3)Confusion about ward boundaries: In ward 133, the health inspector diligently did the survey. However, there are some flower vendors just outside the Gali Anjaneya Temple who insisted that they are part of the ward while the surveyors insisted they are not. No one has surveyed these vendors and they are in danger of being left out. Please ensure they are covered. Please supply ward maps to all enumerators so they know the boundary.
4)Survey called off: In ward 142, Sunkena halli, the survey was started on 26th and then immediately called off. We are not sure when it will resume. Please direct the concerned health inspector to ensure survey is completed.
5)No surveyors: In ward 151, Koramanagala, there are no enumerators, only the health inspector has come and distributed forms while not even filling it. He has also demanded money from the vendors. Please replace this inspector and ensure the survey is done fully and fairly by a competent officer. In several other wards of BTM layout constituency, the survey has not been done. Please ask the concerned  officers to immediately take stock of the survey and get it done.
6) Moving vendors, evening vendors left out: Most mobile vendors and evening vendors have been left out of the survey. Please make sure they are all covered.
Sir, we have been told that the survey date will be extended to October 3 and 4. We demand that the survey date be extended till we ensure every mobile, stationary vendor in south zone is covered.

Please also ensure that there is proper supervision of the survey. In ward 170, the Junior Health Inspector, verified every single form that was filled by going to the place of Vending and took photos at each cart as well. This is how it must be done everywhere.

Please also ensure that there is some random check of forms by senior officers, by visiting the vending spot and checking in every ward.

Requesting your complete attention and support in this matter and hoping for a full and fair survey.
Thanks,

Representatives of Bengaluru Jilla Beedhi Vyapari Sanghatanegala Okkuta

Comments:

  1. Raman Muthuswamy says:

    As a frequent patron of the food-stuff from the street vendors, it’s the duty of the State to inspect & ok the Quality of the stuff + the Hygiene & potable water supply to their customers, PERIODICALLY. The recent addition of INDIRA CANTEENS should also be subjected to such inspn/tests–in the Public Interest.

  2. Chandra Ravikumar says:

    Has anyone noticed the sudden invasion of street vendors and illegal hawkers in and aroung fourth block market? They are EVERYWHERE, leaving hardly any space to walk. The dirty eateries, and people eating the rubbish that is sold here as street food is more like an infestation than people. They block shop-doors, park themselves on street corners where a turning vehicle can be surprised. If asked to move, give way, not throw rubbish around, they get abusive. On a rough count out of curiosity, on a Sat. eve. I counted, believe it or not, MORE THAN TWO THOUSAND of them in that area. When I enquired around, the shop keepers under request of anonymity told me that they have repeatedly complained and written to the authorities, but no action is taken, for the bribe collection in this market area alone is much over 5 lakhs per day, a conservative estimate.
    The police has more or less given up on controlling the parking on footpaths, two abreast on roads and on both sides, trash piled up everywhere, —- 4th block is HELL. The BMRCL, laid a new sewage line for its drain on .5th main road. diggingbup a newly laid road after the L and T water-pipe activity. They filled up the ditch, did up the road which collapsed back into huge ditches in these rains. We called the corporator. Zero action. We informed the police. No action. After a few walkers fell into the ditches on dark nights (street lights missing) and ater a lady scooterist took a very bad fall one evening, my 74 year old husband brought sand and cement and jalli mixture leftbpiled up on the road side by the corporation for the last six months and filled them up, and kept refiiling them as they got washed away. Still no action from the people paid by citizens to do this work. Two days ago, a lorry piled with tar mix came, gave the pot holes and ditches a cream and talcum powder make over job in spite of our protests, and merrily went its way!

    The next morning we find the CALLING CARD OF THE AREA CORPORATOR IN OUR POST BOX AS A REMINDER TO US OF HOW CONSCIENTIOUSLY THEY ARE DOING THEIR WORK!

    This absolute and total mess and break down of city laws cannot happen without the full participation, connivance, approval of the State Govt., the Police, the area MP, the area MLA, the Corporator, and every other official. A visit to the environs of the 4th block police station is enough evidence of how the complete law apparatus has gone into comatose stage here. It has to be the dirtiest, most unkempt, park as you please, road- signs thrown higgledy piggledy, vehicle-graveyard of a police station in the whole of India, no the world!

    And the posters stuck at every corner with the faces of politicians leering out of them! Dozens of them. One thing is we do see here is the illegal and impartial sharing of space by all political parties! The Congress, BJP, JDS, Independents, every one of them.

    If anyone reading this has the ear of the Modi Govt.. which is trying so hard to make India ckean, orderly, and law-abiding, please, please, please, bring its attention to 4th block, Jayanagar, which used to be the pride of India not 30 years ago. And the fact that this is the same story with hundreds of thousands of urban areas across the country.

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