CHANDIGARH: City mayor Ravi Kant Sharma on Thursday launched the “Mai Bhi Digital” (me too digital) campaign from Shastri Market, Sector 22, Chandigarh for street vendors, enabling them to accept and make payments digitally.
Addressing street vendors and the general public on the occasion, the mayor said that in order to mitigate the impact of the Covid lockdown on street vendors, the ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) has launched the Prime Minister Street Vendor’s Atmanirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi).
He said the street vendors would use PayTM digital mode of transaction in their street vending business. He said this was in line with the PM’s vision of making digital India inclusive.
“The ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA), Government of India has engaged PayTM, a digital payment aggregator (DPA) for Chandigarh. The Street Vendors Federation, Sector 22, Chandigarh assisted in mobilising street vendors from vending zones for on the spot onboarding.
On Thursday, 21 street vendors were distributed QR code for PayTM digital transactions. The same facility will be provided to the remaining street vendors in different parts of the city by the end of this month,” the Mayor said.
Elaborating on the benefits of the scheme, MC commissioner Anindita Mitra said that the special micro-credit facility scheme provided working capital to street vendors so that they could resume their businesses. Beneficiaries will be trained in using digital payments and would be able to receive payments and pay for material they procure from sellers using unique QR codes.
Mitra said training on digital payments to street vendors will be provided on a safe and secure platform and their cell phones would be equipped with the software to make transactions.
Shopkeepers try to edge vendors out
A verbal altercation was witnessed during the launch of the programme between vendors and local shopkeepers in Sector 22. Sources said shopkeepers of Sector 22 market attended the event, where they met the mayor and MC commissioner and asked them to shift the vending sites from there.
Vendors were enraged at this and an altercation ensued between the two sides. Police personnel at the spot intervened to set things right.
