Chandigarh MC proposes a month’s fee exemption for street vendors

It is meant for only 4,200 non-essential service providers who were hit by the lockdown imposed to contain the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic in Chandigarh

The Chandigarh municipal corporation is all set to give fee exemption to street vendors for May 2021, when the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic was at its peak in the city.

Around 3,500 street vendors recognised as essential service providers and 1,140 mobile vendors are not eligible for the vending fee exemption. (HT File Photo)

In order to contain the second wave, the UT administration had imposed a lockdown, shutting down all non-essential street vendors. More than 4,200 vendors stand to gain with the MC’s fresh proposal.

The exemption is proposed for only non-essential vendors, as the essential and mobile vendors were allowed to operate during the lockdown period.

“The agenda will be tabled before the MC General House for its approval on November 12,” said MC commissioner Anindita Mitra.

There are around 3,510 street vendors recognised as essential service providers in the city. Another 1,140 are mobile vendors, and 6,259 come under the category of non-essential service providers.

“Even among the non-essential service providers, the fee exemption is proposed only for those who have not defaulted on their vending fees. There are around 2,000 such defaulters who skipped the payment for the pre-Covid period,” said an official privy to the development.

To cost ₹70 crore

The monthly vending fee varies from ₹300 to ₹2,000 per month according to the street vendor’s service. “The MC earns around ₹1 crore from the vending fee every month. The exemption will cost us around ₹70 crore,” said the official.

The street vendors have been demanding the exemption for some time now, alleging that the MC is adopting a discriminatory attitude toward them.

“While second-hand car market, parking contractors and the night food street have got exemptions and relaxations, we are still to get any respite for the second wave. Most of us had no alternative to earn a livelihood during the lockdown. Even later, the footfall remained very poor,” said a street vendor, who didn’t want to be named.