Mumbai: Around 5,000 Hawkers Launch Indefinite Protest March to Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation Over Vending Rights

Virar, 5th August 2026: Nearly 5,000 street vendors staged an indefinite protest march to the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) on Wednesday under the banner of the Hawkers’ Protection Struggle Committee, demanding designated vending spaces, official identity cards, and an end to alleged arbitrary eviction drives.

The protest was organised to highlight several long-pending issues affecting street vendors across the Vasai-Virar region. The demonstrators accused the civic administration of failing to implement the provisions of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, leaving thousands of vendors without legal recognition and livelihood security.

Key Demands

The Hawkers’ Protection Struggle Committee submitted the following demands to the municipal administration:

* Restart the street vendors’ survey, which has remained pending since 2014.
* Issue official identity cards and Certificates of Vending to all eligible and legally recognised street vendors.
* Identify and establish adequate vending zones across the city to ensure vendors have designated places to conduct business.
* Immediately stop the confiscation of goods and eviction drives against vendors until proper rehabilitation and legal procedures are completed.
* Ensure the Town Vending Committee (TVC) functions in accordance with the provisions of the Street Vendors Act and carries out its responsibilities transparently.

Protesters said that despite repeated representations over the years, their demands have remained unresolved. They alleged that vendors continue to face harassment, confiscation of goods, and eviction without being provided with alternative vending spaces or legal recognition.

The committee warned that the agitation would continue indefinitely and could be intensified if the municipal corporation fails to take concrete action on their demands.

The large turnout of vendors at the VVCMC headquarters drew attention to growing concerns over livelihood protection and the implementation of street vending regulations in the Vasai-Virar region. Civic officials are expected to hold discussions with representatives of the Hawkers’ Protection Struggle Committee in an effort to resolve the issue.