The Supreme Court on Friday sought response of the Centre and the States on a PIl seeking implementation of the national street vendor policy to ensure the pavements and footpaths are kept free of encroachments for pedestrians.
A bench headed by Chief Justice RM lodha issued notice on the PIl filed by the NGO, Voice of India, represented by its Chairman Dhanesh leshdan that sought measures to curb misuse of footpaths and pavements by street vendors and rehri-patris. The Bench posted the matter to come up after 10 weeks by when it expects the suggestions by the States on possible guidelines to be framed for the removal of encroachments.
The petition alleged that the encroachments not only put the lives of pedestrians at risk but created lot of hassles for use of the footpaths. It reported of thousands of deaths every year across the country on account of pedestrians being pushed to walk on the streets as pavements and footpaths meant for them get blocked by street vendors. The NGO suggested that the street vendor policy, if implemented, can ensure such law-breakers are punished.