Authority: High Court of Odisha, Cuttack

Order Date: 25 September 2026

Case Overview

  • Petitioner: Biranchi Narayan Pradhan, street vendor operating at Ward No.41, Unit‑3, near Sriya Complex opposite ICICI Bank, Kharvela Nagar, Bhubaneswar, District Khordha.
  • Opposite Parties: State of Odisha and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (including Town Vending Committee).
  • Relief Sought: Protection under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 and the Odisha Street Vendors Scheme, 2015; direction restraining eviction from his place of business.
  • Background: Petitioner has been conducting street‑vending activities at the same location for the last 15 years, relies solely on this income, and fears starvation for his family if evicted. He possesses a Letter of Recommendation under the PM SVANidhi Scheme issued by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, identifying him as a street vendor. He has filed an application in Form II for a street‑vending certificate, which is pending before the Town Vending Committee of the Municipal Corporation. During the pendency of this application, eviction steps were being taken, prompting the writ petition.
  • Procedural Note: The matter was heard through a hybrid arrangement (video conferencing/physical mode). Counsel for the petitioner was Mr. Debidutta Mohapatra; counsel for the Municipal Corporation was Mr. Pronoy Mohanty.

Final Outcome

The Court, without expressing any opinion on the merits of the pending certificate application, disposed of the writ petition by directing that, upon production of a certified copy of this order together with the Form II application, the Town Vending Committee shall consider the application as expeditiously as possible, within a period of one month from receipt. Until a decision is taken on the Form II application, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation shall not take any coercive measure for eviction of the petitioner. An urgent certified copy of the order is to be granted on proper application.

Topics: Street Vendors, Legal Relief