Though traders of roadside eateries opposed the move to remove them, the Tiruchirappalli City Corporation has decided to step up the drive.
The issue came to the fore when a team of corporation officials, accompanied by the police, visited V.O.C Road near the Central Bus Stand to remove roadside eateries on complaints that they are selling poor quality food items. The officials contented that no one had license to run the eateries. But traders of roadside eateries and leaders of a few political parties assembled near the bus stand and protested the move saying that it was their livelihood and they had been maintaining hygienic in and around the eateries. Some of them entered into argument with the officials. Following this, the officials dispersed from the scene.
Reacting to the development, V.P. Thandapani, Commissioner, Tiruchirappali Corporation, told The Hindu that there was no question of abandoning the eviction drive. It had received many complaints from passengers that illegal eateries were functioning near unhygienic locations. They prepared food articles under unhygienic circumstances. The corporation was duty bound to check illegal eateries and test the food articles. Nobody would be allowed to run illegal roadside eateries. Similar action would be launched in other areas. Officials had been told to implement the direction in the overall interest of the public.
