Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014

About Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014:

• It was enacted in order to legalise the vending rights of street vendors (SVs). 
• It aimed to protect and regulate street vending in cities, with State-level rules and schemes, and execution by Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) through by-laws, planning, and regulation. 
• The Act clearly delineates the roles and responsibilities of both vendors and various levels of government.
• It commits to accommodating all ‘existing’ vendors in vending zones and issuing vending certificates (VCs).
• The Act establishes a participatory governance structure through Town Vending Committees (TVCs).
  • It mandates that street vendor representatives must constitute 40% of TVC members, with a sub-representation of 33% of women SVs. 
  • These committees are tasked with ensuring the inclusion of all existing vendors in vending zones. 
• Additionally, the Act outlines mechanisms for addressing grievances and disputes, proposing the establishment of a Grievance Redressal Committee chaired by a civil judge or judicial magistrate. 
• It provides that the States/ULBs conduct a survey to identify SVs at least once every five years. 

Q1. What is PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme?

It was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on June 01, 2020 to provide affordable Working Capital loans to street vendors to resume their livelihoods that have been adversely affected due to the Covid-19 lockdown. It is a micro-credit facility that provides street vendors with a collateral-free loan of Rs 10,000 with low rates of interest (below 12%) for a period of one year, aiding the vendors in getting back on their feet financially. The duration of the scheme initially was until March 2022. It has been extended till December 2024, with a focus on enhanced collateral-free affordable loan corpus, increased adoption of digital transactions and holistic socio-economic development of the Street Vendors and their families.

Source: Implementing the Street Vendors Act