Street vendors not interested in alternative arrangements

Street vendors not interested in alternative arrangements

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, June 9, 2011 :The MCC’s Civic Tiger is operating as usual once again. On Wednesday, street vendors conducting their business at City Bus Stand and Lady Goschen Hospital were evicted and their wares were seized. However, the MCC has not yet made arrangements for the vendors inside the Central Market building.

Following intense protests from street vendors’ unions, the MCC had stopped the eviction drive briefly. Mayor Praveen said that the Civic Tiger will operate as usual from Wednesday.

 

 

The vendors at city bus stand arrived as soon as the corporation officials left the area; but later the Civic Tiger was back, chased them off, and confiscated a box of pineapples, a wooden table, and a weighing machine.

The civic body is yet to complete two blocks within the Central Market. One of the blocks has been closed for a long time and the other has been occupied by wholesale traders. Zakir Hussain, a vegetable vendor in the Central Market, said that the vendors occupied this block only for a few days last year, after which they abandoned it. It has remained closed ever since. The place is badly in need to repair, and vendors complain that the water getting in will spoil their vegetables and that even the fans do not work.

Praveenchandra Karkera, the assistant revenue officer, said that required repairs will soon be done and that the civic body will soon evict wholesale traders occupying the block meant for street vendors.

The street vendors, however, are not enthusiastic about the alternative arrangements made for them.