Trichy’s street vendors allege delay in getting ID cards

Cleared/225 WordsTrichy: Expressing dissatisfaction over the street vending committee’s delay in issuing identification cards to street vendors in Trichy city, a section of vendors affiliated with AITUC submitted a petition to the Trichy corporation commissioner on Friday.The petitioners said more than 2,000 street vendors were still awaiting ID cards. They also claimed that many cards already issued contained errors and that corrected cards had not been distributed.“Of the 6,000 street vendors in the city, 2,000 were provided ID cards with errors. Corrected ID cards are yet to be disbursed. Besides, over 2,000 vendors are waiting for fresh ID cards. Without this crucial document, we face threats and challenges every day,” said K Dharmarajan, one of the petitioners.The vendors said the committee should be more proactive in issuing ID cards and in streamlining vending and non-vending zones in the city as mandated under the Tamil Nadu Street Vendors Rules.Petitioners alleged that vendors without ID cards were facing forced relocation and that some had been asked to pay bribes to continue doing business in the same area. They said the delay in issuing ID cards and identifying permitted vending zones was affecting efforts to regulate street vending.Dharmarajan also said subsidised loan schemes available for vendors were not being communicated properly. “The local body is hesitant to publicise the schemes available for vendors,” he added.