With the prolonged lockdown and shutdown adversely affecting the bread and butter of street vendors and roadside kiosk owners, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) authorities have initiated the process to provide financial relief worth 3.57 crore to around 12,000 to street traders.
On directions received from Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, as many as 11,922 roadside vendors within the BMC jurisdiction have been enlisted for payment of Rs 3,000 to each of them. The beneficiaries will receive the one-time monetary award through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBF) mode in their bank accounts. To maintain transparency in the distribution process, the BMC has adopted the DBF mode so that none of the deserving beneficiaries is deprived of the relief. The financial assistance is being borne from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, said BMC officials.
In the first wave of the pandemic last year, BMC had extended helping hands to petty traders and street vendors, he added.
Due to some discrepancies in bank accounts, 2,830 street vendors will be paid the relief later after rectification of their bank details. As many as 14,752 street vendors are registered with the BMC as per the latest data compiled by the municipal corporation, said BMC Deputy Commissioner, Pramod Kumar Prusty.
The petty traders in the capital city are elated as the BMC moved to provide them with fiscal relief.
“The pandemic has ruined the livelihood of petty traders and street vendors in the city. We are thankful to chief minister and BMC commissioner for extending helping hands to us in this trying time”, said Nikila Odisha Street Vendors’ Association Secretary, Manoj Kumar Prusty.