VS seeks law to protect street vendors

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan has asked the government to introduce legislation to protect roadside hawkers and street vendors, ensure their rehabilitation and classify them as labourers. Inaugurating a Secretariat march, organised by the State Coordination Council of street vendors and hawkers, VS said successive Union and State governments had failed to protect the fundamental rights of this downtrodden section.


However, their protection was of importance and no government could shirk that responsibility, he said, adding that he would take up the issue with the government. Kunnamkulam MLA Babu M. Palissery and Peerumade MLA E S Bijimol, who also addressed the march, said they had made submissions in the Assembly on the issue. The Secretariat march was organised by the council that comprised representatives of the CITU, AITUC, INTUC, SEWA-Union, BMS, STU, TUCI and KSVF.