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HIGH COURT OF DELHI
JUDGMENT
Advocates who appeared in this case:
For the Petitioners : Mr. Mohd. Asif and Mr. Aagam Jain, Advocates.
For the Respondents : Mr. Puneet Yadav, ASC for R-1/MCD.
Mr. Divyam Nandrajog, Panel Counsel, GNCTD along with Mr. Mayank Kamra, Advocate for R-3, R-4 & R-
5.
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE ANISH DAYAL
CM APPL. 46247/2023 (Exemption)
Exemption allowed, subject to all just exceptions.
The application stands disposed of accordingly.
1. The present writ petition under Article 226 and Article 227 of the Constitution of India, has been instituted on behalf of the petitioners, praying as follows:- “In the above-mentioned facts and circumstances, it is most respectfully prayed that this Hon’ble Court may be pleased to: (A) Pass an Order directing the respondents to ensure that the petitioners be allowed to peacefully vend on her vending site, on Cycle Market, Splended Road, City-Sp Zone, Ward-84- N, Chandni Chowk, Delhi 110006, in accordance with the provisions of the Street Vendors (Protection Of Livelihood And Regulation Of Street Vending) Act, 2014, without any hindrance being caused by any public official; & (B) Pass an order directing the respondents, their officials, their agents etc. be restrained from harassing the petitioners from peacefully vending at their vending sites; &
(C) Pass an order directing the SHO, PS
Kotwali, Chandini Chowk to ensure that the petitioners street vendor shall not be forcefully removed from his vending site; &
(D) Award costs of filing this Petition to the
Petitioners; & (E) Pass any such directions or order which this Hon’ble court deems fit and proper in the facts and circumstances of the above mentioned case.”
2. Issue notice.
3. Mr. Puneet Yadav, learned Additional Standing Counsel, accepts notice on behalf of the respondent No. 1/MCD and Mr. Divyam Nandrajog, learned Panel Counsel, GNCTD, accepts notice on behalf of the respondent Nos. 3, 4 and 5.
4. Learned Additional Standing Counsel appearing on behalf of the MCD, has invited our attention to the terms and conditions, permitting the petitioners to vend.
5. For the sake of completeness, the said terms and conditions attached to the Certificate of Vending, are reproduced herein below:-
6. In terms of the Certificates of Vending issued to the petitioners, it is clearly stipulated that they cannot vend from any particular location, contrary to the express terms of Clause no. ‘11’, of the said Certificates of Vending. It is further observed that since the Town Vending Committee (TVC) is yet to fix a time limit, providing for a period, during which vendors can vend from any particular spot, the stipulation of 30 minutes time, contained in the said clause, is binding on the petitioners, at this stage. Learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioners states, that they do not pray for the relief of running their business from any particular vending site, within the zones where they have been permitted to vend by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
7. It is an admitted position that the Town Vending Committee (TVC), has in terms of the directions issued by this Court, from time to time, as well as, in terms of the mandate of Section 3 (Survey of street vendors and protection from eviction on relocation) and Section 4 (Issue of certificate of vending) of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, carried out a survey, in some of the areas under the MCD zones; pursuant to which, the following petitioners have been issued certificates of vending, which are annexed as Annexure P-6, to the present writ petition.
NAME OF THE STREET VENDORS DATE OF ISSUE OF VENDING CERTIFICAT E PLACE OF VENDING VENDING CERTIFIC ATE (URI)
CATEGORY OF THE COV ISSUED 1 Mr. Sanjay Kumar 07.11.2021 City-SP Zone, Ward-84-N 4228579 Others 2 Mr. Ashok Dhawan Ward-84-N 122086[4] Others 3 Mr. Prabhat Khanna Ward-84-N 6393770 Others
8 Mr. Raju 07.11.2021 City-SP Zone, Ward-84-N 3043899 Others 9 Mr. Suraj Sharma Ward-84-N 4353268 Others 10 Mr. Kishor Thakur Ward-84-N 7177739 Others
8. In view of the foregoing, learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioners, categorically limits the relief in the present writ petition, i.e. to a direction to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, to permit the aforesaid petitioners to continue to vend within City-SP Zone, Ward- 84-N, strictly and scrupulously in compliance with the terms and conditions of the said certificates of vending, particularly Clause no. 11, and in accordance with law.
9. In view of the above, the present writ petition is partly allowed; and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi is directed to permit the petitioners to vend within City-SP Zone, Ward-84-N, subject to the terms and conditions of the aforementioned certificates of vending dated 07.11.2021, without any let or hindrance.
10. Needless to state that the petitioners will be at liberty to articulate the difficulties faced by them, before the appropriate authorities, in accordance with law, in relation to the certificates of vending, insofar as it employs the expression ‘Others’.
11. No further directions are prayed for.
12. With the above directions, the writ petition is disposed of accordingly.
13. A copy of this judgment be uploaded on the website of this Court forthwith.
SIDDHARTH MRIDUL (JUDGE)
ANISH DAYAL (JUDGE) SEPTEMBER 06, 2023 Click here to check corrigendum, if any