NASVI supports the street food vendors’ along with other vendors by bringing their issues and challenges before the authorities. The organization undertakes advocacy activities at local and state level. NASVI supports and campaigns for generating awareness among the vendors about their rights and development activities.
NASVI influence policy in respect of the livelihood rights of the street food vendors. The organization has been in continuous dialogues with the authorities in protecting the rights of the street food vendors and freeing them from the clutches of harassment from the police and the municipal authorities.
NASVI is now advocating for the protection of the rights of the street vendors under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014. The organization after an intensified struggle successfully gets the street vendors Act enacted and now working for the effective implementation of the Act.
NASVI’s advocacy for the street food vendors gets reflected in many court cases and in many campaigns and workshops undertaken by NASVI. The most historic judgment pertaining to the protection of the rights of the street food vendors is in the case of National Association of Street Vendors of India through its coordinator versus South Delhi Municipal Corporation and ors. In this case the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi quashed the arbitrary notices issued by the Municipal Corporations of Delhi banning the sale of cut fruits and sugarcane juice for a period of 6 months every year.
Through its advocacy work NASVI-
- Provide the street food vendors with information and advice on their rights;
- Organize meetings of the officials and the street vendors together thereby enabling the street food vendors to present their issues and challenges infront of the officials directly;
- Organize meetings with the vendors and members of vendors’ organization and do capacity building among them.
- Train the street food vendors as how to face the authorities in cases of harassments, etc.
- Organize the vendors and inculcate capacity building among them.
- Collective bargaining for the street vendors – During the various stage of the collective bargaining process of the street vendors NASVI has taken up wide activities which include campaigns for awareness creation, organizing rallies, representation before judicial and other governmental authorities, organizing conferences and round tables, and a variety of advocacy initiatives.
- Sensitizing the media about the issues and the challenges of the street vendors;
- Making the Police, officials of the Municipal Corporations and Councils and Public officials about the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 and the rights of the street vendors under the Act.
As part of its advocacy campaigns NASVI in the month of May, 2014 arranged a consultation whereby Interface between Street Food Vendors and Authorities was organized with the help of FSSAI here in Delhi.