• Distributes ID cards and vending certificates to 1,856 roadside vendors during first round survey 
• Second round of survey expected to commence at the end of this month 

By S.T. Ravikumar

Mysore/Mysuru: In another step towards the welfare of street vendors, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has come forward to provide shelters for street vendors doing business on footpaths, roadsides, public spaces etc., across the city.

In a bid to keep the city clean and also to prevent wanton dumping of leftovers and wastes, the MCC has decided to identify appropriate spots for street vendors, where sun and rain shelters will be erected for the benefit of both vendors and customers. Also, suitable selling platforms, toilets, dustbins, vehicle parking facilities, wash basins, drinking water, seating arrangement  etc., will be provided by the MCC.

As a first step in this regard, the MCC has identified 7 spots across the city for setting up vending zones. The seven spots are — Both sides of the road on the stretch of New Kantharaj Urs Road between Ashoka Circle (Ballal Circle) and Hemmige Circle, Saraswathipuram Swimming Pool Road, stretch of High Tension Road running from  Sub-Registrar Office at Vijayanagar Water Tank Circle to Vidyavardhaka Engineering College, in front of  St. Joseph’s Hospital on Mysuru-Bengaluru Road, near P&T Quarters at N.R. Mohalla, Bilal Masjid Road and T. Narasipur Service Road at Siddharthanagar.

Objections invited

The MCC has issued a public notification dated July 5, 2021 inviting objections, if any, from members of the public within seven days from the date of notification. 

Objections that are submitted after seven days will not be accepted and thereafter steps will be taken to establish the vending zones at the designated places, the notification stated.

The tenders will be called after all the formalities are completed, following which the construction of vending zones is likely to  be taken up in August. 

The MCC has prepared the list of items and articles such as fruits, flowers and vegetables, chats, fastfood, toys, plastic articles of daily use, local brand clothes etc., that will only be permitted for trading at these zones.

Meanwhile, the MCC which has carried out the first round survey of street vendors of the city, has distributed ID cards and vending certificates to 1,856 roadside vendors. The second round of survey is expected to commence at the end of this month, during which 2,000 more vendors will be registered.

The MCC is taking up these measures under the Union Government’s  Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission  (DAY-NULM).

Amidst all these developments, MCC Additional Commissioner N.M. Shashikumar said that the MCC has distributed a loan  of Rs. 10,000 each to 7,000 street vendors of the city. Also, 9,000 more vendors have been sanctioned loan under the PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme and these vendors have been distributed letter of recommendation for availing a loan of Rs. 10,000 from different Banks. It has now been planned to distribute Rs. 20,000 loan to street vendors in the second phase under DAY-NULM scheme, Shashikumar explained. 

Meeting on July 15

He further said that DAY-NULM Planning Director Manjushri, an IAS officer, will be holding a meeting in this regard at Bengaluru on July 15, during which selection of beneficiaries, invitation of tenders for vending zones and other issues concerning the scheme will be discussed.

Vending zones had become a non-starter earlier

This is not the first time that the MCC had come up with vending zones plan. A few years ago, the MCC had plans to set up vending zones near Ballal Circle, in front of St. Joseph’s Hospital at Bannimantap and at other places. But the plan failed to take off  for several reasons. Although the construction of a full-fledged vending zone commenced at the space adjacent to the Karnataka State Dr. Gangubai Hangal (KSGH) Music and Performing Arts University in Lakshmipuram, the project was shelved midway.