Implement policy for urban street vendors

PUDUCHERRY: The CPM state unit has urged the local administration to take steps to implement the national policy for urban street vendors in the Union Territory.Speaking to reporters, senior CPM leader and Tamil Nadu state council member V Murugan, on Tuesday, said Chief Secretary M Sathiavathy should take steps to convene a meeting of the top police and civic officials for the implementation of the policy without any further delay.Murugan said the CPM would start an awareness campaign on the problems faced by the street vendors on October 16. He also said that his party would stage torchlight demonstrations, after Deepavali, as part of their efforts.The CPM leader said top officials of the UT were yet to respond to a letter written in 2004 from Chitra Chopra, then secretary of the ministry of Urban Employment and poverty alleviation, on the status of action taken in implementation of policy.   He said the streetside vendors and hawkers were facing harassment at the hands of the police and local authorities who did not allow them to work after 11 pm.The CPM leader alleged that the police regularly harassed them and at times even ransacked their outlets. Nearly 3000 families’ livelihood had been affected by the police’s aggressive behaviour, he added.The CPM leader urged the Chief Secretary to intervene to put an end to the police atrocities on the street vendors, which included the Sunday market vendors too. He also demanded adequate protection for them.