AMC finally forms town vending panel

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has finally come up with a town vending committee to implement the Street Vendors Policy. The committee will be chaired by municipal commissioner Guruprasad Mohapatra and will have the mayor, deputy mayor, collector, joint commissioner of police (traffic) or representational members. The committee will also include 21 members from various vendors' associations.

AMC has also conducted a survey on number of street vendors in city. Elaborating on the same, Mohapatra said, “Considering their different timings and schedule of operations, a database of the vendors and their business has been prepared. We are probably the only civic body to have surveyed street vendors of the city.”

Interestingly, the city has 66,593 vendors out of which a majority of vendors are in the business of food and beverages which provide higher profit margins, stated the survey.

Under this newly-implemented policy, three zones will be created-vending zones, limited zones and no vending zones-to facilitate the vendors and citizens. “In vending zones, vendors will be allowed to carry on their business freely. Those areas where no vendors will be allowed will be 'No vending zones'. In 'limited zones', the vendors will be allowed to do business only at a specific time,” added Mohapatra.

The basic idea, added Mohapatra, will be to include the vendors on the model roads.

“Presently, we are trying to ensure that there are no encroachments on the model roads. Soon, we will identify different vending zones, where these vendors will be relocated and given spaces,” he said. He said that 21 plots have already been identified in the city for vegetable markets.

Addressing the media on Friday, Mohapatra added that regular health checks are on in the city to avoid water-borne diseases.