Law demanded for protecting hawkers

Demanding steps against entry of multinational and big companies in retail sector, National Hawker Federation said a law to protect the interests of street vendors should be enacted.

Demanding steps against entry of multinational and big companies in retail sector, National Hawker Federation (NHF) on Sunday said a law to protect the interests of street vendors should be enacted.

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The Street Vendors (protection of livelihood and regulation of street vending) Bill, 2009 to provide for protection of urban street vendors and to regulate street vending should be improved upon before passage, NHF Working President Medha Patekar told reporters in Bhubaneswar.

"The bill needs to be improved upon and certain loopholes have to be removed. The law must be implemented in all the states," she said after a two-day national executive meeting of NHF in Bhubaneswar.

Patekar and NHF General Secretary Shaktiman Ghosh said the federation had demanded adequate safeguards against arbitrary eviction of roadside vendors and hawkers and complete halt to their harassment.

All roadside vendors should be provided with identity cards and licenses, they said adding that they should also be covered under social security scheme.