Mangaluru: The street vendors, under the aegis of the Stree Vendors’ Association and the Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU) staged a stir outside Deputy Commissioner’s office in Mangaluru to register their anger against the eviction drive taken up by the City Corporation, on Tuesday, December 11.
Keeping forth an important demand to convene ‘Town Vending Committee meeting immediately to review the list of authentic street vendors who have been given the identity cards, the vendors said that such cards have been issued to many who are not into the business.
CITU Vice-President and vendors’ association advisor Vasanth Achary, addressing the protesters said, “The MCC should identify different locations in city for street vending activities and allowed vendors to operate under ‘smart city’ project. Eviction of street vendors cannot be the solution to any of the MCC’s problems. Instead it will only create new problems for the street vendors.”
Association honorary president B K Imthiyaz condemned the move of the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC), which has been carrying on eviction drives repeatedly. “The MCC has been saying that the street vendors need to be evicted from the spots where they do their business only to maintain cleanliness in the city. If that argument is right, then the evictors must also realise that they should rehabiliate the vendors,” he said adding that if the rehabilitation issues are not taken up, then stir will be intensified in future.
Association president Mohammed Mustafa, general secretary Hareesh Poojary, vice president Hasan Kudroli among others were present.
