Chandigarh, July 1 -- The Supreme Court has set aside a 2020 notification issued by the Chandigarh Administration that had classified several categories of street vendors, including those selling chhole-bhature, fruits, vegetables and flowers outside religious places, as providers of essential services during the COVID-19 period.
A Bench comprising Justices Sanjay Karol and Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh observed that the notification had been issued in the backdrop of the pandemic and had outlived its purpose. The court said the extraordinary circumstances under which the order was framed no longer existed, making the notification redundant.
The Bench noted that after discussions with all stakeholders, including court-appointed amicus curia...