‘​​Faulty ID cards’ for street vendors spark eviction fears in Bengaluru

Bengaluru's faulty ID cards for street vendors spark eviction fears due to incorrect details and potential license cancellations.

In what appears to be a slapdash exercise, Bengaluru’s corporations are issuing identity cards to street vendors with discrepancies in details, raising fears of illegal eviction and cancellation of street vending licences.

The cards issued to vendors carry incorrect vending zone addresses, wrong photographs, and other errors. They are also covered with stickers bearing the name of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), concealing the name of the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) printed on cards, which vendors said could peel off and render the cards invalid.

The street vendor associations and activists are demanding a resurvey, as the previous one, carried out in 2024, has grossly undercounted vendors and left out at least 70% of the actual numbers. | Photo Credit: ALLEN EGENUSE J.

Meanwhile, the street vendor associations and activists are demanding a resurvey, as the previous one, conducted in 2024, has grossly undercounted vendors and left out at least 70% of the actual numbers.

Caught in confusion

Varadaraj K., a cloth merchant on Malleswaram 8th Cross, said his location has been mentioned differently on the card, leaving him confused about future outcomes.