From correspondents in Delhi, India, 08:31 PM IST

To enable around 400,000 people in the national capital to earn their livelihood, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has told Delhi Mayor Arti Mehra to start allotment of 'Teh Bazari' (pavement hawking licence).

`Teh Bazari' is the licence given by municipal authorities to people to sell their goods at public places.

"Inaction of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and non-allotment of `Teh Bazari' has resulted in denial of earning opportunity to the poor,' a press release said Friday quoting Dikshit.

'As per an order of the Supreme Court, 2.5 percent population of the total population of Delhi has to be allotted `Teh Bazari'. But even after a lapse of a year or so, poor families have not yet been able to get their licence, resulting in hardship to poor families," she said.

Around 275,000 applications have been submitted for allotment of `Teh Bazari', which are under consideration with the MCD.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)