Patna street vendors threaten indefinite strike from April 23

THE DIVISIONAL COMMISSIONER PASSED AN ORDER RESTRAINING THEIR BUSINESS HOURS FROM 7 AM TO 9AM AND 7 PM TO 10PM

All street vendors of the state capital have decided to go on an indefinite strike from April 23, if the district authority doesn’t take back its order that fixed ‘odd business hours’ for them, said a coordinator of street vendors.

“Prior to the strike, the teams set up at the circle levels will fan out in all markets and apprise the pavement sellers, including vegetable and fruit vendors, about the reasons for strike and its repercussions. We will chalk out the final strategy for the strike at the general meeting of street vendors convened on April 19,” said national convener of National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) Arvind Singh.

Around 24,000 registered street vendors are up in arms against the district authorities ever since the divisional commissioner passed an order restraining their business hours between 7am and 9am and then 7pm to 10pm. The vendors say the new schedule will destroy their business and put them on the verge of starvation.

At a meeting on Sunday, delegates of the street vendors also resented the district administration’s decision to file an FIR against their leaders for their bid to meet the divisional commissioner.

“I wonder why FIR was lodged even though we had tried to meet the designated officers after getting confirmation from their offices,” said Singh, adding that he came to know about the case through a press note issued by the administration on April 5.

A delegation of street vendors had gone to the meet the divisional commissioner and the district magistrate on April 4 on the issue.

The NASVI functionary said all shops and daily markets would remain closed until the government provided a written assurance to withdraw the order and issuance of a rationalistic regulation for all street vendors as per the Street Vendors Act/Law 2014.