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Bengaluru’s street vendors are increasingly being threatened by eviction drives by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). Once vibrant streets that bustled with vendors selling everything from trinkets to clothes have now fallen silent as BBMP clears them out, often without offering any alternative for their livelihood.
Church Street, once alive each evening with crowds browsing through quirky street-side stalls, is also a victim of these evictions. Street vendors have been evicted and replaced by high-end pop-up shops inside the MG Road metro station. Be it Jayanagar 4th Block, Shivaji Nagar, or the Palike Bazaar in Vijayanagar, thousands of street vendors are struggling to make ends meet as their only source of income disappears
The BBMP conducted a survey in 2024 from September to December to designate vending zones and regulate street vending operations. In this survey, approximately 27,000 street vendors were identified, but none were issued an ID card. This was despite former BBMP Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath urging authorities in March to swiftly issue ID cards.
The 2024 survey was also overdue by two years; BBMP had last conducted a survey in 2017. During this survey, roughly 25,000 street vendors in the city were identified. Among them, only 13,000 received vending certificates. However, vendor associations at that time had said that the actual number of vendors exceeded one lakh.
As per the Karnataka Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, the civic body is required to conduct a survey every five years. Since the number of street vendors fluctuates annually, this survey is crucial to ensure their welfare and to effectively regulate street vending across the city.
Vendors allege undercounting by BBMP
Vendors were apprehensive when the 2024 survey began as they feared many of them would be excluded, like in 2017. The authorities then assured them that the survey would be conducted systematically. If they had any query or issue with the survey, they could approach the Town Vending Committee (TVC), a body constituted by the government to check upon the street vending activities. The TVC is responsible for identifying street vendors, issuing vending certificates, and ensuring compliance with the Street Vendors Act, 2014.
Vendors say they are disappointed that authorities failed to uphold these assurances, as many were once again left out from the survey.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, on May 24, announced that only 27,665 street vendors in Bengaluru will be officially recognised by the state government. This has angered the street vendor associations, who say the BBMP’s survey grossly undercounts the actual number of vendors, over one lakh of whom have applied for loans under the PM SVANidhi Scheme in Bengaluru alone.
The PM SVANidhi scheme is a government scheme that provides loans to street vendors in India, helping them start or restart their businesses after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The BBMP’s survey, intended to regulate street vending in Bengaluru, has left thousands of vendors off the official list, effectively rendering their livelihoods illegal overnight. Vendor associations and civic activists say the process was incomplete, opaque, and violated the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014.
“More than one lakh vendors have applied for loans under the PM SWANidhi Scheme, how can the BBMP claim only 27,665 exist?” asked Suresh Babu, president of the Beedhi Vyaparigala Okkuta, a street vendors federation.
According to the rules under the Street Vendors Act, all decisions must be made in consultation with the TVC. Suresh, who was part of the committee, alleged that the TVC was not consulted prior to evictions and BBMP failed to conduct proper surveys. He also said that evictions were already underway in several areas before the survey was completed and many vendors, some with decades of presence on city streets, were pushed out.
Several vendors have already been evicted, according to Beedhi Vyaparigala Okkuta (Street Vendors Federation). Data collated by them shows over 161 vendors across just two wards (91 and 110) have been left out of the BBMP list. The names include long-time vendors on MF Noronha Street, Dharmaraja Koil Street, Charminar Masjid Street, Cunningham Road, Queen’s Road, and Hudson Circle.
Recently, around 30 people, street vendors for the past 20 years outside the Koramangala Dante Jai Aasa, were asked by the BBMP to move. “We’ve been here for 20 years. Now suddenly, they say we’re illegal?” said a frustrated vendor from Koramangala.
The term for the TVC expired earlier this year and it is currently defunct. There must be a new election to form a new committee, which is still pending.
“The TVC hasn't done anything yet. It is unfair to have considered 27,665 people and told the rest to immediately move and evict, which is against the law which was made for the street vendors in 2014,” Suresh said.
Suresh also met with MLA of Govindarajanagar, Priya Krishna, in May 2025. “He said there is absolutely no change in the statement given by DyCM and there will be eviction of street vendors who aren’t registered by the BBMP.”
In 2024, the BBMP carried out eviction drives against street vendors in areas like Jayanagar, Vijayanagar, and Church Street. In Jayanagar, BBMP officials evicted vendors despite having valid BBMP issued ID cards. Another 40 vendors were evicted from Jayanagar in March 2024 despite a High Court order protecting 78 petitioners.
BBMP carried out more such drives even in September and October 2024, where vendors in Vijayanagar, Palike Bazaar and Church street were evicted. The vendors were not given any prior notice and many had been working in the area for over 15-20 years.
BBMP officials have maintained that their actions are aimed at removing footpath encroachments and not part of a larger street vendor eviction drive.
Electric vending vehicles impractical, say vendors
When DK Shivakumar announced the number of street vendors in the city, he also said that electric vending machines would be provided to street vendors who apply for it. “How will the vendors be able to fund it and aid a recovery and where would they have the parking facilities and to recharge the vehicles?” asked Suresh. Condemning the move, he said that there is no point in giving street vendors new vehicles as they will add to the already existing traffic and it would not be an easy task.
Many vendors also question the practicality of the idea to provide vending vehicles. “How many of them can even push these carts? What about the elderly, the disabled?” asked Suresh.
According to Beedhi Vyaparigala Okkuta, only 3,755 vendors have applied for vehicles so far, most others say they weren’t even informed properly about it. Few food carts in BTM Layout have also been closed down with no prior notice.
Ramesh, a vendor in Jayanagar said there’s absolutely no space for these new electric vehicles. “Where are we supposed to run around with them? Parking is out of the question, especially with the kind of traffic we deal with every day. The license we’ve been issued is marked ‘sthira’, which means ‘stationed’, we don’t move from place to place. Then why are they asking us to change to a model that is based on mobility?” Ramesh asked.
Ameer, a street vendor, who has been working in Jayanagar for the past 18 years, elaborated on how the BBMP issued him an ID card in 2017 that recognised his right to do business. The card expired in 2022. “When we approached the BBMP for renewal, they refused to let us operate until it was renewed. We had to take the matter all the way to the High Court to get the ID card issue resolved.”
Even after winning the case and the High Court allowing him to resume vending, problems continued for Ameer. “For the past year, the Zonal Commissioner, Priya, has imposed strict new rules. He said all vendors must conduct business only along the side of the footpath without causing disruption to the parking space. That leaves us with no place. They also insist that we vacate the area every day after 5 pm and shift inside the complex, a space that’s already overcrowded and occupied,” Ameer said.
“When we asked questions, they simply said this is the best they can offer and if we don’t want it, we should quit. We’ve been registered in the BBMP’s official survey but it has changed nothing for us,” he added.
Nagaraj, another long-time street vendor at Jayanagar, said, “the government is playing a political game, the law should be equal for all. But clearly, it’s one set of rules for vendors like us and another for those who sell inside shops. We’re left with no option but to adjust on the footpaths. For that, we’re constantly facing hurdles. Two years ago, DK Shivakumar stood in front of Rahul Gandhi and assured us there would be no obstacles and that we could carry on our business peacefully. Now, they’ve flipped the story entirely.”
“For the middle class and the economically weaker sections, this is our only source of income. What are older people supposed to do? Just starve? We’re the ones who vote for these leaders and this is how they repay us? We’re not asking for any luxury, we’re asking to be allowed to survive,” he added.
‘Vendor identification based on ration cards’
Speaking to TNM, Suralkar Vikas Kishore, BBMP’s Special Commissioner (Public Welfare), said their survey focused only on static vendors who need designated vending spots. This is why only 27,665 vendors were recognised, despite over one lakh having applied under the PM SVANidhi scheme, he said. He also said that only one person is allotted a vending space even if multiple members of a single family are vendors. The law however does not differentiate between static or mobile vendors.
The identification process was based on Karnataka ration cards, and those who didn’t possess one were excluded from the list. “The number of vending spots is limited. Others may be considered if more space opens up,” he added.
When asked about electric vending vehicles and concerns around their storage and charging, Suralkar said these vehicles are mobile and are meant to be used on wide roads. Vendors are expected to take them home after work.
He added that the purpose of giving street vendors electric vending vehicles is to make them mobile. “The question of parking does not arise. When they are given these vehicles, vendors are supposed to carry out mobile vending where the width of the road permits them to do so.”
Suralkar said traffic and space limitations are valid issues. “Some vendors leave their carts on the site, others take them home. We’ll assess this and look for an alternative,” he said.
The vehicles are lightweight and easy to operate, he said. “Even elderly and disabled vendors will be able to manage them,” he said. Suralkar did not clarify how the lack of good footpath and road infrastructure in Bengaluru will affect mobile vending for the elderly and disabled.
Replying to complaints about illegal evictions and lack of consultation with the TVC, Suralkar said that vending is strictly prohibited on footpaths that are less than 11 feet wide and this applies to both static and mobile vendors. “In such non-vending zones, TVC doesn't have any say,” he said.
On reconstituting the TVC, he said the vendor survey is complete and identity cards are currently being printed. Draft lists have already been sent to seven zones and elections to form a new TVC will happen after the ID distribution. The old TVC is always open to make basic decisions if needed, until a new committee is elected, Suralkar said.
Vendors who were not a part of the list were told to raise objections after draft lists were displayed at zonal offices. According to Suralkar, these queries were reviewed before finalising the recognised vendor list. Once the recognised 27,665 vendors are fully processed, BBMP may consider adding others.
When asked about alleged harassment and confiscation of goods by BBMP officials, he said, “If vendors are operating in areas less than 11 feet wide, it’s not allowed. But if they’re following the law and still facing harassment, we’ll take strict action.”
Vinay Sreenivasa, an activist and a member of the Street Vendor’s Union, said the Street Vendors Act clearly lays out rules and has a provision that says if a vending zone is less than 4.5 metres wide, vending can’t take place. “But even then, that road has to be officially declared a no-vending zone,” Vinay said. But that’s not being done. “There’s also a clause about declaring certain areas as ‘natural markets’, and even that hasn’t been implemented. What we’re seeing is selective enforcement , picking and choosing parts of the Act that suit them,” he said.
Church Street is a prime example, Vinay said. “The vending areas there are between 4.5 to 9 meters, and the Act clearly states that on one-way roads with widths like that, vending is allowed. But vendors have been evicted without even a notice."
Vinay said that the BBMP is bending the law to its convenience. “The whole point of the Act is to protect livelihoods while regulating street vending and not to take advantage of the rules against the people it was meant to safeguard. But BBMP seems more interested in regulation than in safeguarding livelihoods,” he alleged.