Calcutta, July 26: The government appears to have turned hawker-friendly less than a year before the Assembly polls.

Labour minister Mohammed Amin told the Assembly today the government was “actively considering” a proposal for a policy on street vendors mooted by the BJP-led NDA that opposes “forceful eviction”.

The A.B. Vajpayee government had proposed framing of the National Policy for Urban Street Vendors.

Amin, who issued the statement on behalf of urban development minister Asok Bhattacharya, said: “The Union minister of state for urban development under the NDA regime had circulated a draft of the policy to all state governments. The matter is under our active consideration”.

At least 1.5 lakh vendors now choke eight key roads in Calcutta (see box).

In 1996, the government had carried out Operation Sunshine to evict hawkers and vendors from key roads in the city despite protests.

Amin’s comments came on a day the Supreme Court asked the Centre to file an affidavit within four weeks detailing the steps taken to implement the policy on street vendors.

The draft says: “Street vendors are most vulnerable to forced eviction and denial of basic right to livelihood. It causes severe long-term hardship, impoverishment and other damage, including loss of dignity. Therefore, no street vendor should be forcefully evicted. They should be relocated with adequate rehabilitation. Eviction should be avoided wherever feasible unless there is clear and urgent public need....”

The draft also does not want eviction in the name of urban beautification. “No hawker should be arbitrarily evicted in the name of beautification of a city’s landscape. The beautification and clean-up programmes... should actively involve street vendors in a positive way.”

Amin quoted the draft as saying: “It is the duty of the state to protect the right of this segment of population to earn their livelihood.”

He added that while framing the policy, the government would consider issues relating to the movement of pedestrians, vehicles and road safety.

The draft also suggests amendment of laws to ensure legal status for hawkers.