According to Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, street vendors have been, are, and will always be an important part of India's economic growth story, with strong ties to the urban informal economy. He was speaking today at the 16th meeting of the National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI).
The Minister stated that the meeting's theme, 'From Encroachers to Self-Employed,' is very appropriate because we value street vendors. They are not encroachers, but self-employed individuals who contribute to our collective dream of a "new India," he added.
Puri stated that during the pandemic, the Prime Minister stated that "the PM SVANidhi scheme is to provide 'Swarozgar, Svavlamban, Swabhimaan' (Self Employment, Self-Sustenance, and Self-Confidence)." He went on to say that for any government scheme to succeed, it must become a people's movement. Other schemes that have achieved great success with people's participation include the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and the Swachch Bharat Mission, he added.
The Minister stated that as we celebrate 75 years of independence, we have sent a message to all States, Municipalities, and Urban Local Bodies across the country to celebrate SVANidhi Mahotsav with the active participation of street vendors. Various success stories of street vendors, as well as their contributions to India's economic growth story, will also be shared with the public, he said. He stated that our Prime Minister is the most vocal supporter of street vendors.
The Minister stated that street vendors were given capital working loans to help them restart their businesses after the pandemic. He added that as of 11 July 2022, Rs. 3,661 crores had been provided as micro-credits to more than 30 lakh street vendors, which was a significant amount.
Puri explained that the scheme was designed to provide collateral-free working capital loans of Rs.10,000, Rs. 20,000, and Rs. 50,000 to street vendors in exchange for repayment of previous loans, allowing them to plan their business expansion. Phase 1 of SVANidhi se Samriddhi was launched in January 2021, covering 31 lakh street vendors and their families in 125 cities, he added.
Puri went on to say that it is our mantra to extend dignity to everyone and to fairly recognize each individual's service and contribution. Various government-led interventions have benefited the vulnerable and marginalized segments of our society, particularly in cities and towns, he added.
In response to NASVI's request for the formation of grievance committees, the Minister stated that these would be formed as soon as possible. It is also critical to hold a meeting of approximately 4500 Town Vending Committees, as these platforms will assist in addressing the local issues of others at your level, he added.
He congratulated NASVI on organising the conference and stated that the discussion today will be part of the plan to further strengthen the Street Vendor community. The Minister presented mementos to the best performing Town Vending Committees and interacted with the street vendors in attendance.
