Already in debt, Delhi street vendors say they want relief, not more loans

Because of lockdown, most street vendors were not able to earn anything and had to borrow money for survival. Not many will be able to repay the loans offered by the govt, vendors say

Kanchan Devi sells samosas and jalebis from a tiny stand in Delhi’s Sarojini Nagar market. She’s been going there every day in the hope that she, and other street vendors like her, will be allowed to resume business, now that markets have partially opened.

But its pavements, normally buzzing with thrifty shoppers, are deserted.

“Although the government has allowed markets to partially reopen, there is no clarity on the rules for pavement sellers,” says Devi, adding, “Consequently, the 800-odd street vendors in Sarojini Nagar who’ve been out of work for the last two months are uncertain about the future.”

Mohammad