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The Madras High Court yesterday observed that the Chennai City Corporation has defaulted themselves in the timely implementation of the provisions of the Street Vendors Act of 2014 and ordered the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to implement the same starting with identifying vending and non-vending zones.

The bench of Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy observed, "We find that the Chennai City Corporation has defaulted themselves in making compliance of the provisions of the Act of 2014. The action as envisaged under the Act of 2014 would now be taken on day-to-day basis."

The Court was hearing a petition filed by one S. Singaram, through his counsel P. Vijendran, which had sought directions to implement the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) at 2014 and the Tamil Nadu Street Vendors (Protection of livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Schemes and Rules 2015 in proper perspective. Singaram had also sought directions for issuance of the vending certificate to the Street Vendors contemplated Section 4 of the act 2014. 

Regarding the same, the counsel for the Corporation of Chennai, had submitted a detailed report detailing the action taken by them under the Street Vendors Act. However, Court was not satisfied with the action taken by them.

Noting thus, Court directed the Corporation to identify the vending and non-vending zones, followed by permission to the identified vendors only for vending zones and at the same time, not to permit anyone else to the vending in the non-vending zone. 

The Matter is listed to be next heard on  April 7, 2022.

S. Singaram v. Government of Tamil Nadu & Ors.