Nagpur’s street vendors are facing a brutal livelihood crisis as the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) ramps up anti-encroachment drives. Every day, hundreds of pushcarts (thelas) are seized, leaving families with no way to survive. For many vendors—graduates, engineers, and pandemic-hit workers—street vending was the last option. Now, even that’s being snatched away.
Despite paying steep fines, vendors say it takes 3–4 months to reclaim their carts, which are dumped in a godown at Gorewada. Officially, the return period is 15 days with a ₹2,000 fine. In reality? The fine has allegedly doubled to ₹4,000, and delays are the norm.
Adding insult to injury, perishable goods are often confiscated and destroyed without any documentation or compensation. Vendors lose both their stock and their dignity—without a panchanama or legal recourse.
The biggest outrage? NMC is ignoring Supreme Court directives. Under the National Street Vendor Policy, every vendor should be registered and issued an ID or smart license. But out of an estimated 70,000–80,000 vendors, only 1,126 are officially recognized.
This isn’t law enforcement—it’s the punishment of poverty. Vendors don’t need bulldozers; they need structured solutions, designated vending zones, and respect.
Vendors Demand Answers:
Why are carts not returned in 15 days?
Why is the fine now ₹4,000?
Where’s the inventory of destroyed goods?
Why aren’t vendor IDs being issued as per SC orders?
Stop targeting the poor. Start governing with humanity.
Defying Supreme Court Orders — Where Are the Vendor IDs?
The Supreme Court has clearly mandated that all municipal bodies must register street vendors and issue them official ID cards under the National Street Vendor Policy—ensuring their recognition, rights, and protection. But in Nagpur, this order is being blatantly ignored. Out of an estimated 70,000–80,000 street vendors, only 1,126 have been officially registered by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation. The rest remain invisible, unprotected, and at constant risk of eviction—denied their constitutional right to livelihood.
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