Gujarat HC directs AMC to place 586 certified street vendors at Bhadra Complex by March 21

In a landmark ruling, Gujarat High Court has directed the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to immediately place 586 certified street vendors back in the designated vending zone at Bhadra Complex by March 21, 2026. The division bench comprising Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice D N Ray declared the eviction of these certified street vendors from the area in September 2025 as illegal.

The court emphasised that the eviction contravened the provisions of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act 2014.

According to an affidavit submitted by the AMC on February 18, 2026, a total of 586 certificates have been issued to street vendors — 262 under the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) and 324 under CELO. The bench instructed that the verification process for these certified vendors' certificates be completed within one week, in the presence of representatives from SEWA and CELO.

The committee comprising three officials of AMC, one senior police official and one senior local administrative officer shall verify the certificates of street vendors and to ensure that they are being placed at their designated places ie Bhadra Complex area without asking any further question.

The court also addressed the disputed cases involving approximately 258 additional street vendors (represented by SEWA and CELO), directing the committee to complete their certificate verification within 15 days.For any remaining uncertified or unidentified vendors, the ruling mandates relocation to alternative sites identified for street vendors.

The court strictly prohibited uncertified vendors from operating within the Bhadra Complex vending zone. To maintain order during the allocation process, the police and district administration have been directed to prevent any untoward incidents or law and order issues on site.

The high court said that no public streets or carriageways in the Bhadra Complex area shall be obstructed or occupied, and all such pathways must remain open for public use. Any violation of this directive by any party will be treated as contempt of court.

Rejecting the government pleader's plea to stay the operation of the order, the bench noted that the AMC had acted in defiance of the court orders.

The court said that, it is not open for AMC to plead that allocating vendors to Bhadra Complex would cause traffic congestion or block public pathways, pointing out that the area had been opened for vehicular traffic since 2016. The AMC has been instructed to file a compliance affidavit by April 17, 2026, detailing adherence to the court's directions.