Gurugram vendors seek halt to evictions; commissioner meeting set for Sept 16

Street vendors marched to the Municipal Commissioner’s office in Gurugram on Thursday, seeking an end to eviction drives that unions said were removing carts and goods without safeguards for vendors’ livelihoods.

The procession, led by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions and the Rehri-Patri Mazdoor Union, ended with the submission of a memorandum to the Joint Commissioner. Union leaders said an administrative survey had identified about 40,000 vendors in the city and that vending zones had been designated, but that thousands of registered vendors’ families still faced eviction.

The unions sought protection for existing vending zones until alternatives are arranged, development of new zones, and time-bound decisions on pending Certificates of Vending and renewals. They also sought an inquiry into alleged irregularities in certification and safeguards for eligible vendors, including PM-SVANidhi beneficiaries.

Union representatives said the Town Vending Committee had not met for nearly three years and asked the Municipal Commissioner, who chairs it, to convene a meeting. They are scheduled to meet the Municipal Commissioner on September 16.