With reports of non-Hindu street vendors being denied permission to do business outside Hindu temples during fairs and annual festivals, the Karnataka Beedi Badhi Vyaapari Sanghatanegala Okkoota has urged the State Government to intervene in the matter.
Speaking to reporters here on Thursday, Okkoota’s State president C.E. Rangaswamy said that the denial of permission to non-Hindu street vendors was against the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, and the Karnataka Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Rules, 2019.
Under these regulations, street vendors can do business by the road side, fairs (both weekly and annual) and festivals. Denial of permission to non-Hindu vendors on religious grounds was unfortunate and would result in loss of livelihood to many, which would negatively impact their families, he said.
