People's Democracy

CPI(M) MP WRITES TO PM

‘Ensure Passage

of Street Vendors Bill’

CPI(M) MP and general secretary of CITU, Tapan Sen, has written the following letter to prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh on 25th December seeking his intervention in urgently passing the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2013 in Rajya Sabha. A copy of this letter has been sent to union labour and employment minister, Oscar Fernandes.

YOU are aware, the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2013 has been unanimously passed by Lok Sabha. As such, in positive response to a Supreme Court judgment, this Bill was brought by your government before parliament for enactment. But most unfortunately, even during the last winter session, this non-controversial Bill, already passed by Lok Sabha, could not be taken up by Rajya Sabha for passage.

You will appreciate, this Bill is of crucial importance for around 4 crore street vendors/hawkers and their families involving the maintenance of at least around 20 crore people. And the Bill was formulated by the government after long process of consultation with the stakeholders and various other related agencies and finally taken up by Lok Sabha for passing after thorough scrutiny by the concerned Parliamentary Standing Committee which unanimously commended the Bill. Now, after passage by Lok Sabha, if this Bill is not taken up and passed by Rajya Sabha in its next session, which is likely to be a short one, it will get lapsed and again the whole exercise will have to be started de novo and that entirely would depend on the whims and attitude of the next government.

I therefore, request you to please appreciate the urgency of getting this Bill taken up on a priority basis  for passage by Rajya Sabha in the next session itself and appropriately intervene so that this non-controversial Bill receives priority along with other legislative businesses to be taken up for passage by Rajya Sabha in the next session.

(INN)