Mangaluru, Nov 19, 2014: Under the banner of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), a huge number of Mangaluru city street vendors staged a protest on November 18, Tuesday against the MCC - Mangalore City Corporation’s eviction drive as well as the lack of implementation of the street vendors act. The protesting vendors demanded that the MCC not evict street vendors, and instead identify “food plazas” in the city where vendors could hawk without harassment.
Sunil Kumar Bajal, Honorary president of CITU spelt out that though many protests have been held and the Mayor and the corporation urged not to deprive economically weak street vendors of their livelihood, the corporation continues to do so. It is not in keeping with natural laws to evict vendors without finding them an alternate spot to hawk.
He accused officials were going after street vendors, who were helpless targets, instead of hotels and eateries that were flouting health laws and dumping waste on the roads. Though the corporation had completed a survey and formed a town vending committee as mandated by the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, the protestors said the process of distributing identity cards that would protect them from harassment and eviction, was being delayed without justification. The protestors also demanded that the MCC clean garbage and provide suitable spaces in busy areas with street stalls.