Only authorized street vendors identified in the survey may vend; unauthorized vendors are subject to removal.

Forty-nine street vendors operating within the Delhi Cantonment Board area filed a petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India

The Petitioners sought protection against dispossession and harassment by authorities

On August 7, 2025, the Court recorded the Delhi Cantonment Board's resolution not to remove the Petitioners pending further orders

Subsequently, the Town Vending Committee (TVC) finalized a survey and issued provisional Certificates of Vending to the Petitioners

The Petitioners thereafter raised a secondary grievance regarding harassment and obstruction by unauthorized street vendors

1. Whether the Petitioners, as identified and surveyed vendors, are entitled to peaceful vending at their designated sites

2. Whether the Delhi Cantonment Board and Police are obligated to take enforcement action against unauthorized vendors to ensure the rights of authorized vendors are protected

The Court applied the statutory framework governing street vending, specifically the functions of the Town Vending Committee (TVC).

TVC’s internal resolutions dated January 15, 2026, which established a three-challan eligibility criteria for survey inclusion

resolution dated November 3, 2025, which mandated that identified vendors be allowed to vend according to their certificates while empowering police and revenue authorities to remove unauthorized vendors

The Court exercised its writ jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution to enforce these administrative decisions

The Court observed that the statutory survey process for the Delhi Cantonment Board had been completed and the Petitioners were formally recognized through provisional Certificates of Vending

By linking the Petitioners’ status to the TVC resolution of November 3, 2025, the Court determined that the Petitioners possess a protected right to vend in their respective areas

The Court reasoned that for this right to be meaningful, the authorities must proactively prevent interference by those not identified in the official surveys of July 26, 2024, and August 23, 2024

Consequently, the Court found that the Delhi Cantonment Board and the Delhi Police maintain a concurrent duty to cooperate in removing unauthorized elements to maintain the integrity of the vending plan

It directed the Delhi Cantonment Board, in cooperation with the Delhi Police, to take strict action against unauthorized street vendors in accordance with the TVC’s minutes of the meeting dated November 3, 2025

The authorities must ensure that unauthorized vendors do not operate in the designated areas and that authorized vendors are not disturbed

The petition was disposed of with these directions, and the subsequent hearing date was cancelled