Kozhikode Corporation initiates measures to streamline street vending

Office-bearers of Town Vending Committee to be elected this month

The Kozhikode Municipal Corporation has begun the process of reconstituting its Town Vending Committee as a first step to streamline the operations of street vendors in the city. The election of office-bearers of the committee will be held on December 22 and the election notification has been issued from the office of the City Project Officer of the National Urban Livelihood Mission.

The Kozhikode Corporation formed the Town Vending Committee in 2016 and a survey of street vendors was held. The Corporation had then issued identity cards to more than 1,600 street vendors.

However, there were complaints that many street vendors were not part of the corporation’s list. A second survey of street vendors in Kozhikode Corporation was held in July 2021, in which 2,323 vendors were identified. But the vendors complained of ill-timing of the survey and that many active vendors were off the streets at the time due to the pandemic. The corporation later accepted applications from more than 500 vendors, which is to be considered by the street vending committee once the election of office-bearers is completed.