Bhubaneswar: In a bid to generate more employment avenues and protect the livelihood of street vendors, the civic authority has decided to construct about 150 weather-resistant kiosks.
The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), under National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM), has invited tenders from agencies for establishment of about 100-150 kiosks under its jurisdiction. The move is aimed at providing street vendors protection against adverse weather phenomena.
“With an aim to reduce poverty and vulnerability of the urban poor households by enabling them to access gainful self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities under NULM, we have come up with the initiative. As per the project, about 150 kiosks will be set up near market areas such as Unit-1, 2, Market Building and others. The proposed plan will be implemented in all three zones of the city,” said a senior BMC official.
While the initial cost for the project has been estimated to be about Rs 1 lakh, the awarded party will be issued with further works after reviewing the completed ones.
Sources at the BMC said that the project has been initiated after the severe cyclonic storm Fani wreaked havoc in the city and destroyed livelihoods of many street vendors in 2019. The proposed kiosks will provide them with suitable vending places, identity cards and clean and safe environment.
As per a survey conducted by the civic body, the BMC had estimated the number of street vendors at 21,483 in 2015-16. However, with the city observing rapid urbanisation, experts have suggested that the number might have tripled now. While the surveyed vendors are mostly recognised by the civic body, the unofficial numbers are said to be much more.
It is worth mentioning here that the BMC along with Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) has already erected more than 100 smart vending zones in the city. While the vending zones are solar operated, the owners are equipped with unique identity card.