Vendor eviction bites students’ food budget

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College-goers will need a sizeable hike in their pocket money on the eve of their first day in a Delhi University college. The eviction of street vendors, following the CWG beautification drive in DU’s north campus, has hit students’ food budget. The eviction of popular street vendors (like Tom Uncle’s Maggi joint, the samosawala in Patel Chest and the bhelpuriwala in front of Hindu College) has left students with no choice but to step into fancy restaurants even for that quick after-lecture snack. Both the international as well as local food chains in Kamla Nagar market are registering increased footfall post this move.
“I prefer eating out once in a while to beat the monotony of eating everyday in our college canteen, but those were only weekend affairs. My favourite afternoon snack was the chole kulche one used to get in front of the School of Correspondence. But following the eviction, I don’t have any option but to either stick to my college canteen’s daily menu or get lunch packed from home. I cannot afford to hit KFC and McDonalds everyday,” says Siddartha Gupta, 2nd year Physics (Honours) in Ramjas College.
“I wish the street vendors were still here. They are a blessing, especially for out-station students who cannot afford to shell out too much money on everyday lunch and dinner. But I guess I have to find a girlfriend this session to share my bills this summer,” laughs Uday Singh Ada, joint secretary, Hansraj College students union.
However, if you are tired of the usual burger or the chicken bucket at McDonalds and KFC, you can try the local Chinese food joints, which too are sharing a major chunk of the “profit-pie” along with the international brands. Danish Tenzing, manager of Ying Yeng Restaurant in Kamla Nagar Market, says they have seen an increase in the number of customers even during the admission session, and by the time the classes begin they are expecting huge turnouts especially in the afternoons.
“We are trying to fill the void created by the eviction of street vendors. Though we can’t afford to have a menu as cheap as them, we are trying to give competition to the big brands in terms of prices of the dishes. A meal for two here would cost you somewhere around Rs 225, which I think is pretty subsidised,” he adds.
The National Association of Street Vendors of India ((NASVI) recently threatened to protest against MCD for not taking effective steps for formulating and implementing a proper policy for urban street hawkers.