Hawkers removal part of gameplan to pave way for FDI in retail:

New Delhi, Mar 22 (UNI) Alleging that the removal of hawkers and street vendors from Delhi was part of an elaborate gameplan to clear way for Foreign Direct investments (FDI) in Retail sector, two non governmental organisations (NGOs) today urged the Delhi Government and the MCD to chalk out a plan for 'legalising' the vending operations in Delhi to create hawker zones to accomodate all the hawkers of the city.

Addressing a press conference here today, Manushi Sangthan and Sewa Bharat also demanded that the Ministry for Urban Development undertake necessary steps to implement the National Policy for Street vendors by including it as one of the mandatory requirements in the Jawaharlal Nehru National Renewal Mission.

''Neither Delhi nor any other urban centre can survive without street vendors and hawkers. It is economically suicidal to drive them out of the city into despair and destruction under the pretext of cleaning up our cities. They can easily be integrated into the city's economy and landscape in a dignified manner, given the vital role they play as the most efficient channel for distribution of vegetables, fruits and other daily necessities for urban consumers,'' the NGOs said.

''We need to avert a national calamity which is likely to be unleashed if the Centre as well as Delhi Government do not present a realistic plan of action to the Supreme Court for implementation of the National policy for Street Vendors,'' they said.

UNI AR PG KN2031