Authority: High Court of Odisha at Cuttack

Order Date: 25.09.2026

Case Overview

  • Petitioner: Loknath Sahoo, a street vendor operating at Ward No.41, Unit-3, Near Sriya Complex, in front of ICICI Bank, Kharvela Nagar, Bhubaneswar, District Khordha.
  • Opposite Parties: State of Odisha and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) among others.
  • 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 vending at the location for the last 35 years. He was issued a Street Vending Certificate and ID Card on 01.08.2020 and a Street Vendor Token No.41 on 04.12.2015 by BMC, identifying him as a street vendor. He has filed an application in Form II for renewal of the certificate, which is pending before the Town Vending Committee of BMC. During the pendency of this renewal application, eviction steps were being taken against him.
  • Counsel: Mr. Debidutta Mohapatra (Petitioner), Mr. Pronoy Mohanty (BMC), and senior counsel Mr. P.K. Mohanty.
  • Procedural Note: The matter was taken up through a hybrid arrangement (video conferencing/physical mode).

Final Outcome

  • The Court, without expressing any opinion on the merits of the petition for a new street‑vending certificate, disposes of the writ petition with the following directions:

1. Upon production of a certified copy of this order together with a copy of the Form II application filed by the petitioner, the Town Vending Committee, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation shall consider the renewal application expeditiously within one month from the date of receipt.

2. Until a decision is taken on the Form II application, no coercive measure for eviction of the petitioner shall be taken by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation.

3. An urgent certified copy of this order shall be granted on proper application.

  • The order is pronounced by Hon'ble Dr. Justice Sanjeeb K. Panigrahi and Hon'ble Justice G. Satapathy.

Topics: Street Vending, Legal Relief