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by admin — last modified 2005-11-21 21:23
keywords: Commerce

In October 2004, in name of NDA policy and shockingly procured Supreme Court approval, MCD decided to “regularize” unplanned hawking and privatise its management in joint-venture with an NGO. Unlike by CVC letter of 2001 in support of NGO ideas, both governments remain unmoved by CVC letter of 2004 in support of DMP solutions for informal sector, MoUD continues to desire not to reply in two-year-old PIL against misuse of DMP space meant for this, despite assurances on affidavit DDA continues to promote its misuse for profit while also seeking police help for evicting hawkers from it …

The business of hawking hawkers, as chronicled in 2002 under a different regime: In 1995 “Manushi” (journal about women and society) made a film on hawkers and rickshaw pullers. And “SEWA” (trade union that organises women for full emploreliance) initiated an international alliance that decided all nations must have policies for vendors. In 2001 Manushi was engaging PMO to do what it felt needed doing. And SEWA was engaging MoUD to do what it felt needed doing. Manushi-PMO effort threw up a policy for Delhi, hoped to serve as guideline for the nation. And SEWA-MoUD effort threw up a task force to make national guidelines. For Delhi, Manushi-PMO initiative precipitated a scheme for immediate solution. And SEWA-MoUD initiative precipitated research into the problem. By 2002 a full dozen government / public agencies were engaging directly or indirectly on hawking in Delhi – with no reference to … better as well as statutory Master Plan provisions of 1990 that made the policy dialogue of 2001 rather redundant. … implications of such dialogue… condones culprits … worth of extortion payments hawkers have made since 1990 is estimated to be about Rs.3300 crores… for being in the wrong place …the real scam, overlooked in the policy dialogue, is on the real estate worth of the right places that are rightfully theirs. Secondly, it shortchanges victims – by offering policy intention in place of statutory solution, by taking away implementation priority advantage of being backlog and by downsizing entitlements from land to ID and loan and self-regulation. …Thirdly, it undermines faith in planned development… leading columnist wrote about Manushi “We must all thank Madhu Kishwar for opening our eyes” and about planners that they “need to be sacked en masse” and “be in jail” … Fourthly, it undermines responsibility for planned development… view (expressed by the Minister at MoUD/SEWA workshop and by DDA routinely) that hawkers can’t be given space because they will sell it… excuses for non-implementation … not acceptable from those whose mandate it is to implement, especially when the excuses have no experiential, empirical or conceptual basis… such policy dialogue gives space and legitimacy to unacceptable excuses… (Hawking Hawkers: How high-profile policy dialogues can lead to downsizing of citizens’ statutory entitlements, May 2002)

Policy since 2001 for informal sector is premised on denial of existence of statutory DMP solutions via planned space and is serving to spare this space for profiteering and to maintain extortionist status-quo. NCMP commitments called for rectification by enforcing DMP or better solutions for informal sector...

In October 2004, in name of NDA policy and shockingly procured Supreme Court approval, MCD decided to “regularize” unplanned hawking and privatise its management in joint-venture with an NGO. Unlike by CVC letter of 2001 in support of NGO ideas, both governments remain unmoved by CVC letter of 2004 in support of DMP solutions, MoUD continues to desire not to reply in two-year-old PIL against misuse of DMP space meant for informal sector, despite assurances on affidavit DDA continues to promote its misuse for profit while also seeking police help for evicting hawkers from it …

NCMP-DMP convergence opportunities… missed and subverted

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