Street vendors struggle with licensing, earnings, eviction, harassment and corruption due to their unrecognized role, a survey.

Street vendors are the most socially and economically deprived, and vulnerable sections of the informal workers. They are deprived of their right to livelihood, right to use public places, right to safety, right to trade and their right to dignity.

Ekta Foundation is working tirelessly in providing dignified livelihoods to these street vendors, we have provided entrepreneurship development training to more than 100 women and helping them in setting up small food kiosks supported by a centralized kitchen under the project DIDI KA DHABA in Delhi. The program is supported by SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank of India) and Jubilant Bhartia Foundation.

To understand the life of a street vendor in Delhi, we have conducted a survey in various locations of Delhi. We have reached out to 1077 street vendors with a questionnaire, we are working on a report which will provide a detailed information on our interaction with the street vendors. We really thank Mr Rony Banerjee for his contribution in this survey and report.

Major findings of the survey revolve around lack of recognition of the role of street vendors culminates in a multitude of problems faced by them such as obtaining licenses, insecurity of earnings, insecurity of place of hawking, gratifying officers and muscle-men, constant eviction threats, fines and harassment by traffic policemen etc.