Smart Street Vending Markets for 7 Cities

Vijayawada: In a move towards strengthening the quality of urban life in Andhra Pradesh, the state government has decided to set up Smart Street Vending Markets across seven major urban local bodies, in Anantapur, Kurnool, Tadepalli-Mangalagiri, Ongole, Srikakulam, Vijayawada and Kadapa.

This initiative is taken under the Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas through the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihood Mission support to the urban street vendors programme. It seeks to formalise, modernise and dignify the livelihood of street vendors while simultaneously ensuring orderly and sustainable urban management.

Explaining the rationale behind the initiative, principal secretary to the urban development department, Suresh Kumar, observed, “Street vending sustains thousands of families and caters to the needs of millions of citizens. However, unregulated vending results in congestion, unsafe conditions and loss of dignity for vendors. Through Smart Street Vending Markets, the state government is pioneering a system that ensures dignity for vendors, convenience for customers, and orderliness for cities.”

The Smart Street Vending Markets provide priority to women vendors, differently-abled persons and marginalised groups. These markets would facilitate new revenue streams for municipalities through shop rentals, digital advertising and surplus solar energy sales and establishes a self-sustaining model that reduces dependence on grants and subsidies, he claimed.

The estimated total project cost is Rs 1.80 crore to Rs 9 crore per unit, depending on the shops-- a minimum of 40 and a maximum of 200 in Anantapur, Kurnool, Tadepalli (MTMC), Ongole, Srikakulam, Vijayawada and Kadapa.

Suresh Kumar said the project is expected to transform urban livelihoods, strengthen the informal economy and improve urban governance. It would provide secure and sustainable income opportunities to over 580 street vendor families.