A street vendor association has alleged irregularity on the part of the Bengaluru’s civic body – the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in carrying out surveys to identify street vendors.
The survey is being done to empower and identify street vendors under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) scheme of the central government.
The Bengaluru Jilla Beedhi Vyapari Sanghatanegala Okkuta has written to the BBMP Joint Commissioner (South) asking the Palike to take corrective measures, stating that the guidelines for the implementation of the survey have been followed only in certain wards.
In one ward in Koramangala, they alleged that the BBMP official asked for bribes from vendors who wanted to be included in the survey. The association has demanded that the officer must be dealt with strictly.
“In ward 151, Koramangala, there are no enumerators, only the health inspector has come and distributed forms while not even filling it. He has also demanded money from the vendors. Please replace this inspector and ensure the survey is done fully and fairly by a competent officer,” the letter asked.
The other issues the association raised include shortage of forms, bogus identification of non-street vendors, exclusion of vendors working in the evening and instances of surveys called off without any information on when they will resume again.
“In ward 123 and 168, there have not been enough forms. We are not sure if the forms will be given and when the survey will be complete. Please do direct the junior health inspectors to complete the survey,” the association said.
“In ward 124, the surveyors, instead of filling the form at the vending place, sat at a place some distance away from the vending area and filled forms of various people without checking if they are vendors or not. Please do make sure that there is an inspection of forms and vendors in this ward,” they pointed out in their letter to the South Zone Joint Commissioner.
The Okkuta had earlier said that all vendors were not informed about the survey, and the Palike was reluctant to promote the exercise.