Alternative facility for street vendors sought

Under the aegis of district Street Vendors Association (CITU), street vendors in Mangalore City Corporation limits staged a protest in front of MCC on Thursday and urged to stop the raids being conducted on street vendors and to make alternative facilities for them.

Addressing protestors, Association Honorary President Sunil Kumar Bajal said that the City Corporation is doing injustice to poor street vendors by evacuating them, quoting petty reasons.

The street vendors have not been served notice in advance and were informed only on the previous day. When asked, the MCC officials prepared a notice for an older date. He alleged that the rights of street vendors have been snatched by the MCC.

Though a town vending committee has been formed four meetings have been convened. But, none of the decisions taken during the meeting has been implemented, he said. Though the alternative place for street vendors has been fixed, it has not been implemented.

Also, the street vendors have not been provided identity cards, he further said.
The MCC claims that most of the street vendors belong to other states. But, 80 percent of them are from City Corporation limits, he said and added the rule only says that the street vendors should not carryout business within 100 metres of distance from main junctions and circles. But, the MCC officials cleared all street vendors.

He meanwhile alleged the MCC Commissioner of doing injustice to poor and criticised that Mangaluru cannot be compared to Vijayawada, where she was the Commissioner before. Corporator Jayanthi B Shetty and others were present.