NEW DELHI: The urban affairs ministry has advised state governments to allow identified street vendors to sell essential items during the lockdown, a move which would not only save their livelihood and facilitate supplies virtually at doorstep, but also prevent crowding in markets and thus serve the dire need of social distancing to check Covid-19 spread.
There are about 18 lakh identified street vendors across the country and almost 13 lakh of them have valid identity cards.
Sources said the ministry issued the advisory after the pan-Indian urban vendors’ association approached it citing the plight of street vendors after loss of livelihood due to the nationwide lockdown in the wake of coronavirus spread.
Tweeting the letter sent to s