New Delhi: A delegation of street vendors met Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Thursday, September 10, and raised concerns over the alleged removal and eviction of their stalls in the national capital ahead of the BRICS Summit, the Indian Hawkers Association (IHA) said.
The association claimed that around 800 to 900 street vendors accompanied the delegation to the Raj Niwas area, where they sought the LG’s intervention to ensure that they are not displaced without following the prescribed legal procedure.
During the meeting, the vendors raised concerns over the alleged bypassing of Town Vending Committees (TVCs) while taking action, the association said.
The delegation referred to the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 and the Delhi Street Vendors Scheme, 2019, which provide a statutory framework for regulating street vending and assign an important role to TVCs.
The association said TVCs are responsible for finalising vending zones, authorised vendors, vending sites and conditions and alleged that vendors were being removed despite the committees’ statutory role.
The IHA also referred to the Delhi High Court’s May 19, 2026 order, saying the court had recorded the MCD’s submission that after provisional certificates of Vending are issued, TVCs would finalise vending zones in their respective areas, following which final certificates would be issued.
The association said the court had also made it clear that until the TVC takes its final decision, vendors operating under the conditions of their provisional Certificates of Vending should not be harassed or prevented from vending.
The vendors also raised the issue of vending fees, calling for an officially prescribed fee, receipts and a transparent collection system. The association opposed any informal collection from vendors and demanded that fees be charged only through a lawful and transparent mechanism.
The delegation said genuine encroachments, obstruction of traffic and violations of rules should be dealt with, but legal street vending should not be treated on the same footing as illegal encroachment.
The association urged the administration to allow TVCs to perform their statutory functions and ensure that vendors are not harassed, evicted or displaced without following due legal process.
The meeting comes ahead of the BRICS Summit, which India is scheduled to host in New Delhi on September 12 and 13.
The association appealed to the government and administration to ensure that preparations for the international summit do not come at the cost of the livelihoods and dignity of street vendors.
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