Bringing issues like harassment of street vendors, “freezing” of the pension of DTC employees and the demolition of JJ clusters to the notice of lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, a delegation led by Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president Ajay Maken met the l-G on Wednesday and submitted detailed memorandums on the issues.
Raising the issue of the harassment and difficulties being faced by the street vendors due to the non-implementation of the Street Vendors (Protection of livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act 2014, Maken said that the Act was passed by the UPA Government in 2014, and due to the non-implementation of the Act by the Delhi Government, the street vendors have been facing constant harassment, eviction and confiscation of goods.
Maken also raised the issue of the freezing of pension of over 12,000 DTC pensioners, including widows, by the Aam Aadmi Party Government in Delhi, and sought his immediate intervention for restoring their pension payment. He said that as a result of the irregular payment of pension, most of the DTC pensioners in the 70-90 age category were facing a hard time as they have no money to buy even essential medicines.
Maken also sought urgent intervention by the lt Governor to provide justice to the people affected by the “illegal demolitions” carried out by the DDA at Aam Bagh in Mehrauli which has uprooted around 45 families that have been living there for the past 30-35 years. Maken pointed out that the Parliament has enacted the Delhi Special Provision Act in 2014 which made it clear that any encroachment structure that came up before January 1, 2006 cannot be demolished.
The lt. Governor assured Maken that he would take up these issues with the Delhi Government to find out a satisfactory solution. He also assured Maken that he would talk to the DDA vice chairman about giving lIG flats to the uprooted people in Aam Bagh.
Meanwhile, Rehri-Patri Evam Asangatith Kamgar Congress chairman Anurag Shankar, along with thousands of street vendors, held a protest demonstration outside the residence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday seeking the redressal of their demands, including implementation of the Street Vendors Act.