A CONGRESS DELEGATION LED BY DPCC PRESIDENT SHRI AJAY MAKEN MEETS THE LT. GOVERNOR

On Sep 3, 2015

A CONGRESS DELEGATION LED BY DPCC PRESIDENT SHRI AJAY MAKEN MEETS THE LT. GOVERNOR TO TAKE UP THE ISSUES OF NON-IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STREET VENDORS ACT, FREEZING OF PENSION OF OVER 12000 DTC PENSIONERS AND ILLEGAL DDA DEMOLITION OF JJ CLUSTERS AT AAM BAG IN MEHRAULI.

NEW DELHI, Sept 2—A delegation, led by Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Shri Ajay Maken, today met Lt. Governor Dr Najeeb Jung and brought to his notice the harassment being subjected to lakhs of street vendors due to the non-implementation of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act 2014, “freezing” of the pension of over 12000 DTC pensioners, including widows, by the Aam Aadmi Party Government in Delhi and the demolition of the JJ clusters at Aam Bagh in Mehrauli by the Delhi Development Authority. The delegation also submitted detailed memorandums concerning these issues to the Lt. Governor. Besides Shri Ajay Maken, the delegation included DPCC chief spokesperson Smt. Sharmistha Mukherjee, Shri Bhram Yadav, Shri Chattar Singh, Shri Vinay Mishra, Shri Ishwar Singh, Shri Satbir Sing, Shri Anurag Shankar, Shri Arvind Singh and Shri Zuber Khan.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STREET VENDORS (PROTECTION OF LIVELIHOOD AND REGULATION OF STREET VENDING) ACT 2014: Shri Ajay Maken, along with Shri Anurag Shankar, chairman of the Rehri-Patri Evam Asangatith Kamgar Congress, brought to the attention of the Lt. Governor about the harassment and difficulties being faced by the street vendors due to the non-implementation of the Street Vendors Act. Shri Maken said the street vendors were being driven out and their goods confiscated as the AAP Government has not yet taken steps to notify the scheme under this Act and provide licence to over 5 lakh street vendors. He said this Act was passed by the UPA Government in 2014, and due to the non-implementation of the Act by the Delhi Government, the street vendors have been facing constant harassment, eviction and confiscation of goods. Nor the Town Vending Committee has been constituted under this Act. He said had the Act been implemented, the street vendors could have been settled at designated zones. He said the Delhi High Court and the Mumbai High Court had ruled that the street vendors should not be harassed without the implementation of the Street Vendors Act. He said the Uttarakhand and Karnataka Governments have implemented the Street Vendors Act, which enables the street vendors to do business without facing any harassment.

Shri Maken said he himself had sat on a day-long hunger strike with thousands of street vendors at Jantar Mantar, demanding immediate implementation of the Street Vendors Act. Dr Najeeb Jung assured Shri Maken that he would write to the Delhi Government about the problems being faced by the street vendors.

FREEZING OF PENSION OF OVER 12000 DTC PENSIONERS: Shri Ajay Maken also brought to the notice of the Lt. Governor the freezing of pension of over 12000 DTC pensioners, including widows, by the Aam Aadmi Party Government in Delhi, and sought his immediate intervention for restoring their pension payment. Shri Ajay Maken said as a result of the irregular payment of pension, most of the DTC pensioners who are in the 70-90 age category, were facing a hard time, as they have no money to buy even essential medicines.

Shri Maken said the DTC pensioners, who have been getting their pension regularly for the past 34 years, were now facing irregular payment of pensions since January, 2015 without DA. He said ever since the AAP Government came to power in Delhi, the payment of pension has become irregular, putting the pensioners in misery. The AAP Government has also decided to stop pension to the “Pension Opted Employees” who are still in service. Shri Maken said this decision of the Government is illegal and in violation of the CCR Pension Rules. Shri Maken said he had earlier led a demonstration to the DTC headquarters demanding justice to the DTC pensioners.

The Lt. Governor assured Shri Maken that he would take up the case of the DTC pensioners with the Delhi Government to find out a satisfactory solution.

It may be recalled that the pension scheme for the DTC employees was implemented based on the Supreme Court orders/judgement on 20^th February, 1990 which was approved by the Union Cabinet. On November 23, 1992, the Central Government introduced pension scheme for DTC employees on the same pattern as in the case of the Central Government employees with retrospective effect from August 3, 1981.

ILLEGAL DEMOLITION OF JJ CLUSTERS AT AAM BAGH IN MEHRAULI: Shri Ajay Maken sought the urgent intervention of Dr Najeeb Jung to provide justice to the people affected by the illegal demolitions carried out by the DDA at Aam Bagh in Mehrauli, which has uprooted around 45 families, who have been living there for the past 30-35 years. Shri Maken pointed out that Parliament had enacted the Delhi Special Provision Act in 2014 which made it clear that any encroachment structure that came up before January 1, 2006 cannot be demolished. He said under the law, demolition can be carried out only if the concerned agency has made arrangements for rehabilitation of the uprooted people, which the DDA had not done.

Shri Ajay Maken requested the Lt. Governor to use his powers to provide justice to those affected by the DDA demolition of JJ Clusters in Aam Bagh by allotting LIG flats at cost-to-cost rates to rehabilitate them. Dr Najeeb Jung assured Shri Maken that he would take up with the DDA vice chairman about giving LIG flats to the uprooted people in Aam Bagh.

STREET VENDORS HOLD DEMONSTRATION OUTSIDE THE RESIDENCE OF CM KEJRIWAL: The Rehri-Patri Evam Asangatith Kamgar Congress chairman Anurag Shankar, along with thousands of street vendors, today held a protest demonstration outside the residence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, seeking the redressal of their demands, including implementation of the Street Vendors Act, so that over 5 lakh street vendors could get their licences and ply their trade in dignity.