Pune, 12 March 2026: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has launched a recovery drive to collect pending fees from licensed street vendors across the city, warning that failure to clear dues by March 31 could lead to suspension and cancellation of licences.
According to civic officials, the move comes as Pune continues to face a serious encroachment problem while many authorised vendors have avoided paying the mandatory charges. Out of 12,155 licensed vendors in the city, only 3,840 have cleared their dues so far, leaving a total outstanding amount of ₹64.51 crore.
The Street Vendors Act introduced by the central government in 2014 aimed to regulate street vending and provide legal protection to small traders. Under this policy, vendors were surveyed using biometric data and classified into categories before being issued licences.
In Pune, the survey identified 23,166 vendors, out of which 12,155 were rehabilitated across 525 vending zones under 15 ward offices. Licences of vendors who were not found operating businesses were later cancelled.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the PMC had waived nearly ₹12 crore in vendor fees as businesses remained shut and many traders struggled to earn a livelihood. However, officials say several vendors continued to neglect fee payments even after businesses resumed, leading to a significant increase in pending dues.
The civic administration has been trying to recover these dues since 2018, but the process has faced delays due to pressure from vendor unions and political backing. The issue was later placed before the City Street Vendor Committee, following which the PMC decided to intensify the recovery process.
Vendors have been given a final window from January 1 to March 31 to clear their dues. If the pending amount is not paid within this period, the civic body will suspend and cancel their licences. In addition, the vendors and their family members may be barred from participating in future street vendor surveys.
Somnath Bankar, Deputy Commissioner of PMC’s Anti-Encroachment Department, said, “Licensed street vendors were repeatedly urged to pay their fees, but the response has been poor. As per the decision taken in the City Street Vendor Committee, we have started a recovery drive. Vendors who fail to clear their dues will face licence suspension and cancellation, and may also be blacklisted. They still have time to pay and avoid action.”
However, members of the City Street Vendor Committee have criticised the move and said the decision could harm the livelihoods of thousands of vendors.
Committee member Deepak Mohite said, “The Pune Municipal Corporation is undermining the Street Vendors Act approved by the central government in 2014. The decision to recover fees was not formally discussed in the committee meeting, yet the administration is enforcing it unilaterally. Threatening to blacklist vendors who cannot pay is unfair and could affect the livelihoods of thousands of families. We have requested the municipal commissioner to stay this decision.”
