Calcutta High Court Seeks State Govt's Response On Progress Made In Implementation Of Street Vendors Act

The Calcutta High Court on Friday directed the State government as well as the Kolkata Municipal Corporation to apprise the Court before the next date of hearing about the progress made with regards to the implementation of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014. 

A Bench comprising Chief Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj was adjudicating upon a Public Interest Litigation seeking direction upon the authorities to implement provisions of the 2014 Act and the 2018 Rules framed thereunder.

Earlier, the Court had observed that no steps had been taken by the State and that the matter had been put in 'cold storage'. On Friday, the Bench took on record the affidavit-in-response filed by the State government.

During the proceedings, Advocate Srikanta Dutta appearing for the petitioner submitted before the Court that more than 7 years have passed and yet no steps have been taken by the respondent authorities in respect of constitution of Town Vending Committees as necessitated under the 2014 Act. 

He further informed the Bench that there had also been a delay in framing the 2018 Rules i.e. the West Bengal Urban Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Rules 2018. Reliance was also placed on the affidavit-in-response filed by the State government wherein it had been stipulated that till now Town Vending Committees had not been constituted in all local bodies as mandated. 

Furthermore, he also argued that the legislation mandates local bodies to issue licenses to vendors and subsequently identify vending zones to shift the vendors to such zones. 

On the other hand, Advocate General S.N Mookherjee appearing for the respondents apprised the Bench that he will issue necessary communication to all concerned local bodies in respect of implementation of the 2014 Act and also gather information about the stage up to which progress has been made by each of the local bodies.

He also informed the Court that out of 128 local bodies, 81 of them had already constituted the mandatory Town Vending Committees.

The counsel appearing for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation was further directed to apprise the Court about the time frame that would be required to implement the provisions of the 2014 Act on the next date of hearing. 

The matter is slated to be heard next on February 25. 

Case Title: Akshya Kumar Sarangi v. State of West Bengal

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