Identify dedicated hawker zones: AAP

Mangaluru: The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Dakshina Kannada unit has urged Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) to immediately identify dedicated hawker zones and streamline the licensing process for street vendors. State vice-president Vivekananda Salins told reporters on Wednesday that despite clear provisions in the 2014 street vendors act, authorities have failed to provide basic facilities and formal recognition to vendors. He said the law mandates surveys every five years, allotment of designated vending spaces, and issuance of ID cards to support street vendors. Salins alleged that MCC has not implemented guidelines under the 2014 notification and the 2024 amendment. He called for the creation of vendor committees and a single-window system to ease licensing and regulation. The party alleged that bureaucratic red tape within the corporation has stalled the process.