BBMP begins long-awaited survey of street vendors

Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has finally begun its long-overdue survey of street vendors across the city.

The survey, which started recently, has so far been conducted in a few zones, with around 570 vendors recorded to date.

BBMP Special Commissioner (Welfare) Suralkar Vikas Kishore told DH that the survey is expected to be completed within 30 to 45 days.

"Multiple teams are working at the zonal level, and we have instructed them to finish the task within the next 45 days. Training and communication materials related to the survey were distributed about a month ago," he said.

The last survey was conducted in 2017 and has been delayed by over two years. Accurate data on the number of street vendors and their locations is critical for designating vending zones and regulating street vending operations. Street vendors said the delay in the survey has led to illegal evictions.

"According to a Supreme Court ruling, neither the local civic body nor the police can evict us without conducting a survey and marking vending zones. However, the BBMP had been stalling the survey, which resulted in many vendors facing harassment from the police and local officials," said Babu S, a member of the Bengaluru Urban District Street Vendors Federation and a vendor at the Vijayanagar market.

The 2017 survey identified approximately 25,000 street vendors in the city, though vendors claim the actual number exceeds 1,00,000. Of those identified, only 13,000 received vending certificates.

Citing these shortcomings, vendors have urged the BBMP to ensure the new survey includes all street vendors.

"We have suggested that the civic body consult Town Vending Committee (TVC) members in each zone to help identify vendors. This will ensure no one is left out," said Rangaswamy CE, president of the Karnataka Beedi Badi Vyaapari Sanghatanegala Okkuta (KBBVS).