Polls concluded, results declared for all 23 town vending panels

Nearly 12 years after Parliament enacted the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, Delhi has moved a step closer to fully implementing the law, with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) completing elections to the town vending committees (TVCs) that will regulate street vending, identify vending zones and recommend the issuance of certificates of vending

Nearly 12 years after Parliament enacted the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, Delhi has moved a step closer to fully implementing the law, with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) completing elections to the town vending committees (TVCs) that will regulate street vending, identify vending zones and recommend the issuance of certificates of vending.

The MCD conducted the elections on August 2, recording a voter turnout of 41%.

The TVCs, mandated under the 2014 law, are responsible for identifying vending zones, overseeing vendor surveys and recommending the issuance of Certificates of Vending (CoVs). Their formation has been delayed in Delhi for years despite the law coming into force more than a decade ago.

The MCD conducted the elections on August 2, recording a voter turnout of 41%. Counting across the 12 municipal zones continued until 2am on Wednesday, after which results for all 23 TVCs were declared. Each TVC has 12 elected vendor representatives and is headed by the respective zonal deputy commissioner.

“We have asked deputy commissioners to begin the process of appointing the remaining members of the TVCs, including representatives from the police, road-owning agencies, cooperative societies and market associations. The entire process is likely to be completed within the next month,” an MCD official said, requesting anonymity.

Once the remaining members are appointed, the Delhi government will issue the final notification constituting the TVCs.

Arbind Singh, national coordinator of the National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI), said, “The completion of the TVC elections is an important achievement for Delhi. However, the real success will depend on how effectively the elected TVCs are empowered to function. Meaningful participation of the TVCs will not only protect livelihoods but will also contribute to better urban planning and more inclusive cities.”

In a statement, NASVI alleged that inadequate deployment of police and administrative personnel at some polling booths led to crowd management issues and unnecessary disturbances during voting. It also said vendors at certain locations complained that only one entry gate was kept open while other access points remained closed, resulting in long queues, congestion and inconvenience. The organisation urged the MCD to review the arrangements and take corrective measures to ensure smoother town vending committee elections in future.