Central scheme to upskill 2,500 street food vendors in east Delhi

Officials said the objective is to impart relevant skills to street food vendors, which can lead to better services for consumers, more opportunities for revenue generation and awareness on civic regulations

NEW DELHI: The Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) on Tuesday announced a pilot project under which it will train 2,500 street food vendors, aged 23-55 and operating in East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC), as part of a plan to improve their skills and increase their opportunities for revenue generation.

According to EDMC officials, registered street food vendors will go through four-five days of counselling sessions where they will get clarity on their competencies, aptitude, interests, opportunities, and structure of the itinerary. (HT Archive)

Implemented under the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) component of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 3.0, officials said the objective is to impart relevant skills to street food vendors, which can lead to better services for consumers, more opportunities for revenue generation and awareness on civic regulations. The vendors will be given ₹500 per day for four days of training.

Launching the initiative, Union minister of state for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, said that the role of street food vendors cannot be ignored as the country has around 5.5 million such vendors who contribute around 14% to the informal economy.

“Their upliftment lacked attention and focus earlier. But now, for the first time, schemes like SVANidhi (a micro-credit facility for street vendors) and RPL training for street food vendors have been introduced, especially after Covid-19, where retail and street vending segments were hugely impacted. Since the conduct and well-being of street food vendors are directly proportional to their growth, their upskilling has become essential,” he said.

In his address, EDMC mayor Shyam Sundar Agarwal said that the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi “will surely help in lifting the working and living conditions” of the workforce. “By upskilling the vendors and providing them with loans for accessing e-cart licenses under this initiative, we will ensure that no vendor is left jobless. Further, this initiative will also provide social security and safety to 4,000 vendors in east Delhi and 25 lakh street vendors nationally,” he said.

According to EDMC officials, registered street food vendors will go through four-five days of counselling sessions where they will get clarity on their competencies, aptitude, interests, opportunities, and structure of the itinerary.

A senior EDMC official said, “The inaugural batches will take place at EDMC Headquarters and the remaining beneficiaries will be trained in their respective wards/zones in a decentralized mode. EDMC will identify schools and community halls to conduct this four-day training programme.”