CHENNAI: A public hearing of street vendors saw most of them voicing concern over threat to livelihood and harassment at the hands of police and authorities. Vendors from across the State participated in the hearing, held at Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium Hall here on Sunday.Land allotment and protection from local goons were their major demands. Some vendors also raised complaints on harassment by local body authorities and police. They demanded that identity cards be issued to save them from such problems.On the need for a proper census of street vendors by corporations and municipalities, hawkers said it would help them seek welfare measures from the government. They also urged the local bodies to maintain records on their numbers.Debt trap was another area of concern. Street vendors said banks should give them loans so that they could avoid approaching private moneylenders. “Moneylenders charge high interest from us. In fact, they target us as we often fail to get loans from banks,” said state co-coordinator of Street Vendors’ Federation-Tamil Nadu V Mageshvaran. He added that dislocation and eviction of street vendors should be stopped and their freedom to sell products at places where potential buyers thronged should be upheld.“Police and corporation officials harass us. They also extort money. Authorities often come up with impractical rules, which make us worry about loss of our livelihood. We are regularly forced out of the streets,” rued Krishnaveni, a street vendor from Tiruchy.
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