Vijayawada: Street hawkers demand ID cards, financial help from govt

Vijayawada: Demanding identity cards, government help and loan facility, the street hawkers staged a dharna here on Monday and submitted a memorandum to District Collector S Dilli Rao. The leaders of CPM and CITU expressed solidarity with the street hawkers.

The street hawkers took out a rally from Besant Road to the District Collector’s office where they submitted a memorandum to the Collector. They appealed to the Collector to provide identity cards, loans under self-employment schemes and financial help under Jagananna Thodu. They appealed to the District Collector to direct the police to stop harassment and levying of petty fines on them. The street hawkers said that they need protection from corporate houses and online businesses. They sought allotment of houses for them and the street hawkers should be exempted from paying fees to use public toilets run by the municipal corporation.

Addressing the gathering, CPM leader Ch Babu Rao said that the State and the Central governments were not extending any help to the street hawkers. In the absence of identity cards, they are not eligible for any government schemes, he pointed out. Moreover, various government departments have been levying fines of several hundreds of rupees every month. During the last five years, each street hawker paid Rs 25,000 in the name of various fines.

The street hawkers are compelled to spend Rs 50 per day on using the public toilets, he said and sought exemption for them. The Supreme Court and Central and State governments issued various orders for the welfare of the street hawkers but they were not implemented.

Babu Rao said that a large number of women and weaker sections are eking out a living by selling on streets. He appealed to the government to issue identity cards to them and stop levying fines on them. CITU leaders Murali, Bhulokam, Subba Rao, Lakshmana, Sreenu, Suramma, Veera Reddy, Ramesh, Appa Rao and others participated.