MHC to GCC: Respond with reconstitution of street vending panel

CHENNAI: The first bench of Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to file a response in connection with the reconstitution of the town vending committee in compliance with the Street Vendors Act, 2014.

While heading the bench along with Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy, Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari passed the direction on hearing a petition filed by S Singaram.

The petitioner sought direction to the GCC to remove all street vendors who have opened their shops on the roads within GCC limits.

P Vijendran, petitioner’s counsel, submitted that the town vending committee was formed under the chairmanship of the Executive Engineer despite Section 22 of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood Act and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, wanting the commissioner of GCC to head the committee.

CJ Bhandari asked the GCC’s standing counsel about the steps taken by the corporation to adhere to Section 22 of the 2014 Act. Karthika Ashok, GCC’s standing counsel, submitted that she’d seek instructions from officials and file a response.

On recording the submissions, the CJ directed Karthika to get instructions from the GCC to reconstitute the existing town vending committee to comply the Section 22 of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood Act and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014.

Recently, he had also pointed out that the law mandates that the town vending committee should be headed by a CEO or GCC’s commissioner. “Since the GCC does not have a CEO, the commissioner should head it,” the CJ held.

The committee should also have the local authorities, street vendors, traffic police, NGO persons, resident-welfare associations, banks, and others. The matter has been adjourned to April 27.