The Delhi High Court has refused relief to two street vendors seeking protection from eviction at Nehru Place, holding that they have no legal right to hawk in a designated no-vending zone. It also directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to take immediate action against unauthorised vendors in the area.
A Bench of Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Madhu Jain passed the order on March 24, dismissing the petitions of two vendors who had sought protection from eviction from vending sites located opposite the Mansarovar Building in the Nehru Place commercial complex. The petitioners had alleged harassment by MCD officials and the police.
The petitioners claimed to have been carrying out vending activities in the area since 2004, but were being prevented from continuing their livelihood.
In response to the petition, the MCD told the court that Nehru Place is officially classified as a “no-vending zone”. However, 67 vendors had earlier been permitted to hawk there under the aegis of Manushi Sangathan, while another 85 vendors had received protection through various court orders.
Taking note of the submission, the Bench referred to an earlier ruling of the court, which held that the present petitioners did not have the right to vend in the Nehru Place District Centre as their names did not appear in any of the authorised vendor lists prepared pursuant to Supreme Court directions. These lists were drawn up by the Thareja Committee in 1992 and the Chopra Committee in 1996 to regulate street vending.
