NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, DEC 1
In a quest to formalise the unorganised sector and upskill the street food vendors, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) on Tuesday, announced to skill the street food vendors of East Delhi and make them eligible for e-cart licenses, improving the hygiene conditions in food preparation and aesthetics of vending. Under this initiative of Skill India, it aims at upskilling 2,500 vendors, aged between 23 to 55 years.
Under the initiative, the street food vendors will be educated on health and safety standards, safety provisions under COVID-19 protocols, effective communication techniques with staff and customers, new-age skills such as digital literacy, financial literacy, digital payments and e-selling. The vendors will also be supported with loans under the Mudra Scheme.
The objective of this programme is to provide relevant skills to the street food vendors, leading towards better services to consumers, more opportunities to vendors for revenue generation, awareness on regulations and stipulated rules, in return providing better services to the local bodies.
In its pilot phase with East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC), Skill India aims at upskilling 2,500 vendors, aged between 23 to 55 years. The initiative will be implemented under the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) component of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 3.0. The project will be implemented by the Tourism and Hospitality Sector Skill Council (THSSC) and training partners of NSDC.
The inaugural batches will take place at EDMC Headquarters and the remaining beneficiaries will be trained in their respective wards/zones in a decentralised mode. EDMC will identify schools and community halls to conduct this four-day training programme.
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— Skill India (@MSDESkillIndia) November 30, 2021
Launching the initiative, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship; and Ministry of Electronics and IT, said “India is land to 55 Lakh Street Food Vendors, their contribution to the informal economy is 14% which is not a small number and highlights the important role played by them in India’s economy. Before the able leadership of our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the upliftment of our street food vendors lacked attention and focus. However, with his vision, as we celebrate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to celebrate India’s rich heritage.”
He added that this is the first time, schemes like SVANidhi and RPL training for Street Food Vendors have been introduced, especially after the COVID-19, where retail and street vending segments were hugely impacted. “I would also like to highlight that the conduct and well-being of Street Food Vendors define how their respective cities are perceived, therefore, their upskilling is an imperative,” Rajeev said.
