After court’s stay on eviction, street vendors return to Ambala bus stand
Ambala MC teams and police had in June removed the vendors after terming their carts “encroachments that lead to traffic congestion outside the bus stand”
A day after a local court put a stay on the eviction of street vendors from their hawking site near the bus stand in Ambala City, carts were back in business on Wednesday.
The vendors under their union’s banner and the backing of various political groups, primarily Jannayak Janta Party’s Vivek Chaudhary, had been protesting against their eviction for the last 67 days at the entry of the old cloth market on the railway road.
Municipal corporation teams and police had in June removed the vendors after terming their carts “encroachments that lead to traffic congestion outside the bus stand”.
Following the court orders, the vendors gathered near their old site and resumed their business amid celebrations in the presence of Chaudhary, Haryana Agro Industries chairperson Kuldeep Singh Multani, Aam Aadmi Party’s state vice-president Chitra Sarwara and others.
Chaudhary, JJP’s state spokesperson, said that this is the victory of the real struggle of common man and their children.
“I’ve asked them to ensure that the vending doesn’t take place on the road that might lead to inconvenience to the commuters,” he added.
On Tuesday, while hearing their plea, the court of civil judge, junior division, Mukesh Kumar issued an interim injunction in favour of the vendors and against the authorities by prohibiting them from removing them. The next hearing is on September 12.
Appearing for the aggrieved party, advocate Sarvjeet Singh and Dharam Singh submitted that the vendors are working as per their certificate of vending provided by the MC under Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act 2014.
The state counsel told the court that they are following the direction of the Punjab and Haryana high court to remove encroachments and they are not entitled for the place where they are carrying their livelihood, therefore, they should be prohibited from carrying their business.
It was also told that the MC only provided them certificates of vending for the purpose of taking loan, but it does not mean that they are entitled for a fixed place of vending and they have not paid annual fee or renewal fee for such certificate, which is necessary.
The court observed that the vendors were granted the certificate under the act in which the category of vending is clearly mentioned along with place of vending and the objective of the act was to protect urban street vendors to earn livelihood, to regulate street vending activities.
Importantly, the court also mentioned “Gopal Krishan Gupta & ors. V/s DC Mahavir Singh & Ors.” and said “it is clear that the high court disposed of the contempt petition after filing of the affidavit by the then commissioner, municipal corporation, Ambala…. and the court nowhere directed to remove the authorised street vendors, who are working under their certificate of vending and at the place which has already been provided by the Municipal Corporation under the Act.”