A
bill to regulate street vending activities and protect the rights of urban
street vendors were among
three measures adopted by Parliament on Thursday.
Lok Sabha, which had earlier
passed the legislations, gave approvals to minor amendments by Rajya Sabha,
which okayed them earlier. The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and
Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2014, which provides for protection of
livelihoods rights, social security of street vendors was passed by Lok Sabha
on Thursday. While Rajya Sabha was passed it on Wednesday.
The
bill provides for constitution of a Town Vending Authority in each Local
Authority to ensure participatory decision making for aspects like
determination of natural market, identification of vending zones, preparation
of street vending plan and survey of street vendors among others. Another Bill
seeking to provide secretarial staff and other benefits to former governors got
the nod of the Lok Sabha after minor changes. The Governors (Emoluments,
Allowances and Privileges) Amendment, Bill, 2013 was passed by the Rajya Sabha
on Wednesday.
Keeping
in view the high constitutional office that a governor holds, the government
proposed to provide secretarial assistance to ex-governors. Former governors at
present do not get any pension or post-retirement benefits except medical
facilities as per rules issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. There
are provisions that the person will not be eligible for such secretarial
assistance for the period during which he is re-appointed to the office of
governor or elected to Parliament or the state legislature or appointed to any
office of profit under the Union or a state government.
The
National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research
(Amendment) Bill, 2013 was also passed by Lok Sabha. Through the
legislation, government has converted the Bengal Engineering and Science
University in Sibpur, West Bengal, into an institute of national importance.
This Bill was also passed by Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
