03.07.2026
Stop the Eviction Drive Against Street Vendors; Strictly Implement the Street Vendors Act, 2014: SDPI Karnataka State General Secretary Mujahid Pasha
Bengaluru, July 3: The ongoing eviction drive against street vendors by GBA authorities in Bengaluru is in clear violation of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, and is both illegal and unjust, said Mujahid Pasha, State General Secretary of SDPI Karnataka, strongly condemning the action.
The Street Vendors Act, 2014 recognizes street vending as a legitimate means of livelihood and was enacted to protect vendors from arbitrary eviction, harassment, and deprivation of their livelihood. Under the Act, no street vendor can be evicted without completing the statutory procedures, including the constitution of a Town Vending Committee (TVC), conducting a comprehensive survey, issuing Certificates of Vending to eligible vendors, identifying vending zones, and following due process of law.
Furthermore, even where relocation is necessary for a genuine public purpose, the law mandates that affected vendors must be given adequate notice and provided with a suitable alternative vending site. However, the authorities in Bengaluru have chosen to ignore these mandatory legal safeguards and are carrying out unilateral eviction drives, which is highly condemnable.
Although the Government of Karnataka has notified the Karnataka Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Rules, 2019 to implement the Central Act, the present eviction drive is being conducted in blatant disregard of these Rules, amounting to a violation of the law.
Protecting the rights and livelihoods of thousands of poor families dependent on street vending is a constitutional obligation of the Government and local authorities. SDPI strongly opposes any action that deprives the poor of their means of livelihood in the name of development.
Therefore, the Government and the concerned authorities must immediately halt the eviction drive and ensure that all future actions are carried out strictly in accordance with the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 and the Karnataka Street Vendors Rules, 2019. The Government must safeguard the livelihoods of street vendors and uphold their legal rights, demanded Mujahid Pasha, State General Secretary of SDPI Karnataka and Former Chairman of the BBMP Standing Committee on Health.
Social Democratic Party of India – Karnataka
