Livelihood & Employment issues of Urban Informal Sector

A large proportion of the urban population depends on ‘the urban informal sector for its livelihood. This is seen from the fact that this sector constitutes upto 50% of the labour force in cities like Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. The urban informal sector comprises essentially the self employed, who can be grouped into 3 broad categories. (Which ?)

It was also found that younger, better-educated persons were continuing to become hawkers. This pattern far from being anti developmental or anti social points to a situation, where in the absence of other employment opportunities, people take to hawking.

Today vending is legal in villages and towns. But in the cities it has become an illegal activity. Unless urban planners recognise and accept the need for hawkers and vendors in the cities of a poor country, municipal acts will continue to have provisions that will call vending on the roadside an ‘encroachment’ simply because you do not plan for them.
Bhatt, Ila , “Do Tokri Ki Jagah: Article from Labour file Journal”, Labour File, New Delhi, Nov 1998, [C.J31], /eldoc/urban_issues/uu1_M014.html

The street vendor is the smallest player in the market economy. This profession is the refuge of almost all those who migrate to cities from villages. While the state is spending on poverty alleviation, its minions are preying on the informal secotr. Three views: Prof Gangadhar Jha, National Institute of Urban Affairs: The vital role of the street vendors and the existing aberrations giving rise to corrupt practices calls for a re-look at the existing planning practice and process. Urban planning need to come out of the existing elitist planning disposition…
Madhu Kishwar, Editor, Manushi: our government policies are designed to depress their incomes and thwart their entrepreneurial potential in the name of cleaning up the city by cleaning it of “unwanted encroachments”. They are treated as legal offenders, as a “public nuisance” and frequently…Subrata Mukherjee, Mayor of Kolkata, Trinamool Congress: When one talks of industrial resurgence or an overall rejuvenation of the state, one has to keep in his mind that it cannot be done without giving the city the much needed facelift. One also has to keep in his mind that such a facelift should not come at the cost of the livelihood of a not so small section of the society.
“Allow Hawkers to Flourish?” The Economic Times, Bangalore, 03 July 2001. [C.J31.030701ET].

Some previous Campaigns
Efforts to ban sale and use of thin plastic bags: Except in four or five wards, the performance of other wards has been poor – Dy. Municipal Commissioner; Cleanliness Campaign in 87 slums change to a drive wherein 2.82 lakh citizens were caught for spitting, urinating, literring in public and fined; ALM scheme for garbage separation taken up in 650 localities. Despite this, private layouts, slums, unattended corners reek with rotting garbage. Additional labour from private contractors is requisitions. 5 lakh rupees is spent every month, awareness campaign are launched, and street wiped clean. Albeit temporarily.
Mehta, Manuja, “Civic Sense Proves a Rare Commodity”, Indian Express, Mumbai, 24 November 2001. [C.J31.241101IE]