ISSUE REPORT

DECEIVED URBAN POOR

(STREET VENDORS)

BACKGROUND:

Vending has been a profession since time immemorial, with street vendors an integral part of our urban history and culture. Shopping and marketing, in a traditional Indian sense, has primarily been informal. Social interaction is integral to Indian markets in contrast to the mechanized and sterile concept of shopping favored by modern market and super market structures.Vendors exhibit remarkable entrepreneurial skills. Purchasing of commodities is no easy task with constant market fluctuations. Besides, middlemen have a major say in the wholesale markets. Commodities have to be in sync with both consumer tastes and paying capacity. As most vendors deal in perishables, the goods have to be sold at the right time..Vendors are regularly subjected to mental and physical pressures by city officials. At times this has led to riotous situations, loss of property, or monetary loss. A major problem is that master plans prepared for our cities do not allocate space to vendors/hawkers, as planners blindly imitate the western concept of marketing, ignoring Indian traditions. No wonder, weekly markets struggle to survive and natural markets are ignored. The policy statements of the regional development authorities talk of making provision for trading and commercial activities, which unfortunately is interpreted as making provision for rich traders and big business.

CAUSES:

1.Middleman exploitation.

2.Lack of cheap transportation facilities.

3.Non availability of cold storage facilities.

4.Lack of knowledge of other media to purchase goods.

5.No organized finance.

6.Selling price of vegetables is not stable

7.Everyday they need to arrange their selling place

8.People bargain with the poor vendors for 1 or 2 rupees.

EFFECTS:

1.Low standard of living.

2.Lack of financial security.

3.Improper housing facilities.

4.Improper sanitation.

5.Lack of access to quality education

SOLUTIONS 

1. Loss due to improper sales can be prevented by providing cold storage facilities for perishable goods.
2. .The vendors have to deal with multiple authorities- municipal corporation , police regional development authorities, local panchayats  etc. the positive steps taken by one are nullified by the others. This delay in implementation due to corruption has to be rectified.
3. Vendors exhibit remarkable entrepreneurial skills. To develop this co-operative societies have to be established. Vendor unions have to be initiated.
4. ¨They earn they spend. No savings for secure future. So they lack with the proof of income. Opening a savings bank a/c will hep them save their earnings.