MCC implements cutting-edge technology for street vendor identification and regulation

Mysore/Mysuru: From the financial year 2017-2018, the number of street vendors on various roads in Mysuru city has grown rapidly. In response, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has initiated measures to survey all individuals who have taken up street vending as a profession.

Data from MCC media releases show that in 2017-18, 1,856 street vendors were identified and given identity cards. In 2021-22, 1,560 vendors were identified, and currently, 3,416 vendors have been issued identity cards. MCC officers told Star of Mysore this morning that apart from 3,416 identified                  vendors, there are more than 4,000 vendors who are yet to be identified.

The MCC has launched a survey to identify new street vendors, utilising GPS locations and geo-fencing technologies for accurate tracking. Street vending licences with Quick Response (QR) codes and GPS-enabled vending licences and identity cards will be issued to facilitate the extension of facilities provided by the Union and State Governments under the Deendayal Antyodaya National Urban Livelihood Mission (DAY-NULM).

To facilitate street vendors to do business, exclusive vending zones have been set up at P&T Quarters at N.R. Mohalla near Bilal Masjid Road, New Kantharaj Raj Urs Road from Ballal Circle to Vedanta Hemmige Circle right side footpath, on MCC land at Bannimantap in front of St. Joseph’s Hospital on Mysuru-Bengaluru Road and Saraswathipuram Swimming Pool Road.

Officers said that after the process of distributing QR-code-GPS-enabled identity cards, the street vendors will be shifted to designated vending zones so that footpaths are freed from clutter. This will also ensure smooth traffic flow, they added.  Those street vendors who do not have identity cards and trade certificates will be evicted with the help of the Police. These initiatives aim to create a more organised and supportive environment for street vendors, ensuring their protection and the regulation of their trade.

Task Force Committee

Following the Karnataka Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street. Vending) Rules, 2019, the MCC has constituted a Task Force Committee under the Chairmanship of the Commissioner. This initiative is part of a broader effort to safeguard the livelihoods of street vendors and regulate their trade within the city.

The Task Force Committee has been formed with the respective Zonal Commissioners from Zonal Offices 01 to 09. It also includes Development Officers, Traffic Police Inspectors, Environmental Engineers, Health Inspectors, Revenue Inspectors and Community Organisers.

The responsibilities of the Committee include issuing identity cards and trade certificates and ensuring compliance with their terms and conditions. It will oversee the relocation of street vendors, compliance with rules for goods seizure, disposal and eviction and actions to identify, create and manage business zones.

The committee will verify vendor operations within designated zones, prepare area maps and allocate land for government-approved marketing zones. It will rectify identity card and trade certificate issues and prevent their misuse, addressing any illegal business practices discovered                                  during issuance.

A Grievance Redressal Committee, chaired by Retired District and Sessions Judge H.Y. Vasanth Kumar, will regularly hear street vendors’ grievances and recommend solutions.

An Appellate Committee, chaired by the Mayor and including two members nominated by the general body, allows street vendors to appeal Grievance Redressal Committee decisions.

To facilitate seamless operation and implementation of the committee’s decisions, an office has been established at  Sewage Farm, Vidyaranyapuram. This office is equipped with all essential amenities to support the functioning of both Task Force Committee and Grievance Redressal Committee.