Dismissed¶32

V.Lakshmi v. the Commissioner

Madras HC10 Sept 2025WP/17366/2025

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

street vending; certificate of vending; Identity Card chip QR Code web link; Town Vending Committee; Greater Chennai Corporation; pavement vending Poonamalle High Road; Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital; Madras Medical College; 100 meter restriction hospital educational institution temple; Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014; mandamus refused; writ petition dismissed; liberty to apply afresh in Vending Zone; Article 226; Madras High Court 2025.

What did the court decide?

As per the applicable norms, street vending business cannot be permitted within 100 meters of a hospital, educational institution or temple. ¶31

V.Lakshmi Vs the Commissioner — Writ and Judicial Review | Madras HC (2025)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Dismissed

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Issue for consideration

Whether the petitioner is entitled to a writ of mandamus directing the respondents to issue a certificate of vending and Identity Card with chip, QR Code and web link address, permitting her street vending on the pavement of Poonamalle High Road, near Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital compound, Chennai - 600 002, in consideration of her representations dated 26.03.2025 and 24.04.2025.

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Court's answer

As per the applicable norms, street vending business cannot be permitted within 100 meters of a hospital, educational institution or temple.

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Ratio / Principle

Since the permission was admittedly sought only just adjacent to the compound of Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital (Madras Medical College), it cannot be directed to be given under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, and the writ petition is accordingly dismissed.

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Key takeaways

The dismissal does not preclude the petitioner from identifying any suitable place for her street vending business in any Vending Zone within the Chennai Corporation limit and filing an application in the prescribed format, which the Chennai Corporation / Town Vending Committee can consider and decide at the earliest in the manner known to law.obiter¶33

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Madras High Court (W.P.No.17366 of 2025, decided 10.09.2025; order by R. Suresh Kumar, J., bench of R. Suresh Kumar and A.D. Jagadish Chandira, JJ.). The petitioner, V. Lakshmi, sought a writ of mandamus under Article 226 directing the Greater Chennai Corporation / Town Vending Committee to issue her a certificate of vending and Identity Card with chip, QR Code and web link address for street vending on the pavement of Poonamalle High Road near Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital compound, Chennai, pursuant to her representations dated 26.03.2025 and 24.04.2025. Held: as per the norms, street vending cannot be permitted within 100 meters of a hospital / educational institution / temple; since the spot sought was admittedly just adjacent to the compound of Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital (Madras Medical College), permission could not be directed to be given under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014. Writ petition dismissed; no order as to costs; connected W.M.P.No.19686 of 2025 closed. Liberty reserved to the petitioner to identify a suitable place in any Vending Zone in the Chennai Corporation limit and apply in the prescribed format, for consideration by the Chennai Corporation / Town Vending Committee at the earliest in the manner known to law.

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W.P.No.17366 of 2025

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

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DATED : 10.09.2025

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CORAM

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THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE R.SURESH KUMAR and THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE A.D.JAGADISH CHANDIRA

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W.P.No.17366 of 2025 and

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W.M.P.No.19686 of 2025

V.Lakshmi

... Petitioner

-Vs-

The Commissioner /

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The Chairperson of Town Vending Committee, Greater Chennai Corporation, Ripon Buildings, No.1131, EVR Periyar Salai, Chennai - 600 003.

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The Regional Deputy Commissioner, Greater Chennai Corporation, No.6, Basin Bridge Salai, Chennai - 600 021.

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The Zonal Officer, Greater Chennai Corporation, Zone-V, No.61, Basin Bridge Salai, Chennai - 600 021.

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... Respondents

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https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis

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W.P.No.17366 of 2025

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PRAYER : Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, praying for issuance of writ of mandamus, directing the respondents to issue certificate of vending and Identity Card with chip, QR Code and web link address to the petitioner to carry on her vending activities on the pavement of Poonamalle High Road, near Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital compound, Chennai - 600 002 by taking into consideration of her representations dated 26.03.2025 and 24.04.2025.

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For Petitioner : Ms.K.Lavan

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For Respondents : Mr.D.B.R.Prabhu Standing Counsel

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O R D E R

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(Order of the Court was made by R.SURESH KUMAR, J.)

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The prayer sought for in this writ petition is for a writ of mandamus directing the respondents to issue certificate of Vending and Identity Card with chip, QR Code and web link address to the petitioner to carry on her vending activities on the pavement of Poonamalle High Road, near Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital compound, Chennai - 600 002 by taking into consideration of her representations dated 26.03.2025 and 24.04.2025.

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2. Heard Ms.Lavan, learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and Mr.D.B.R.Prabhu, learned Standing Counsel appearing for the respondents.

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https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis

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W.P.No.17366 of 2025

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3. The petitioner wants to run a street vending business on pavement at

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Poonamalle High Road, near Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital compound, Chennai - 600 002 and in order to get such permission, she has given representations on 26.03.2025 and 24.04.2025, to consider the same, the present writ petition has been filed.

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4. As per the norms, within 100 meters from the hospital / educational institution / temple, such street vending business cannot be permitted.

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5. In that view of the matter, since admittedly the permission has been sought for only just adjacent to the compound of Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital, i.e., Madras Medical College, such permission cannot be directed to be given under the provisions of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, therefore, this writ petition is liable to be dismissed, accordingly, it is dismissed.

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6. However, the dismissal of the writ petition would not preclude the petitioner from identifying any suitable place for having the street vending business of her in any Vending Zone in the Chennai Corporation limit and after identifying the same, necessary application in the prescribed format can be filed

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https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis

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W.P.No.17366 of 2025

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before the Chennai Corporation and in such case, the same can be considered

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and decided by the Chennai Corporation / Town Vending Committee at the earliest in the manner known to law. However, there shall be no order as to

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costs. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petition is closed.

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(R.S.K., J.) (A.D.J.C., J.) 10.09.2025

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NCC : Yes / No Index : Yes / No Speaking Order : Yes / No

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vji

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https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis

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W.P.No.17366 of 2025

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The Commissioner / The Chairperson of Town Vending Committee, Greater Chennai Corporation, Ripon Buildings, No.1131, EVR Periyar Salai, Chennai - 600 003.

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