The Sarojini Nagar Market Association has alleged that the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) issued certificates of vending without proper verification and included several non-vendors in the list.

Members of the association alleged that they were not consulted for recommendations to the Town Vending Committee (TVC), which conducted a survey last year to finalise the list of vendors eligible for the certificates.

The TVC, comprising 12 elected members, conducted a survey that concluded in July 2025, after which the NDMC released a list of 514 vendors in the market who were issued vending certificates.

According to market association members, the survey was conducted without any clear criteria for identifying pre-existing vendors, leading to overcrowding.

The document, which mentions a vendor’s name, vending ID, market name, and residential address, was finalised solely based on challans issued earlier by the NDMC, they claimed.

“In the NDMC list, at least 60 individuals have been named between kiosks S-22 and S-26, shops 136 and 137, and between T-1 and T-10. However, no vendors are actually occupying these spaces. Moreover, in G-Avenue, which is a no-vending zone, several individuals have been listed,” said Ashok Randhawa, president of the Sarojini Nagar Mini Market Traders Association. “Several objections were raised and submitted to the NDMC via its online portal and e-mail, but no response was received,” he added.

Rejecting allegations

Dinesh Kumar Dixit, a member of the Town Vending Committee, rejected the allegations, stating that applications for the survey had been invited online, following which the panel received 1,069 applications from across NDMC areas. 

Kavita Khate, another committee member, however, pointed out that there were gaps in the certificates issued despite objections being raised in committee meetings.

“Instead of mentioning the exact spot where a vendor is stationed — usually referred to by the shop in front of which they operate — the certificates mention only ‘Sarojini Nagar’, which is misleading and does not assure vendors of the space they claim for their livelihood,” she said.

High Court rules

On Thursday, a Bench of Justices Pratibha Singh and Madhu Jain of the Delhi High Court directed the Delhi government and the NDMC to convene meetings with officials concerned and take decisions regarding the status of street vendors in markets under the NDMC, including Sarojini Nagar and Palika Bazaar in Connaught Place. Observing that “the chaotic situation prevailing in various markets in NDMC and MCD limits is quite visible”, the court underscored the need for an urgent resolution.

The order, which came on writ petitions filed by various market associations, noted that according to the vending plan submitted by the TVC to the NDMC, the number of vendors exceeded the proposed vending sites, and at least 200 additional sites would need to be approved to accommodate all eligible vendors.

The Bench directed the Delhi Chief Secretary to hold meetings on the issue and file a status report before the court.