The Kochi Corporation has plans to speed up the process of identifying street vending zones to check the mushrooming of illegal street vending stalls in the city, according to Mayor M. Anilkumar.
The civic body is conducting a study to fix the zones. The proposals will be placed before the council for follow-up action. “Like the law that regulates illegal dumping of waste in the open, illegal street vending stalls cannot be allowed in violation of the rules,” said Mr. Anilkumar.
The corporation has initiated removing illegal vending stalls based on a directive issued by the Kerala High Court. It had also asked the authorities to ensure immediate rehabilitation of street vendors as per Street Vending (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act 2014. The previous council had issued vending permit and identity cards to about 1, 989 persons.
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The agency appointed by the corporation had found that only about 800 of the 1, 989 street vendors were eligible to conduct business. However, trade union representatives in the town vending committee demanded that all the 1, 989 persons be provided with the permits, and it was approved.
Mr. Anilkumar said that the ongoing drive was aimed at removing unauthorised street vendors and it would continue. The corporation would not allow illegal units as such activities were affecting the normal movement of people, besides resulting in encroachment of public spaces, he said.
The civic body will designate vending and non-vending zones in the city based on the proposal to be placed before the council. The decision to step up the process emerged after it was found that many were operating multiple units in various parts of the city.
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The inspections had also revealed that several persons were not functioning after getting permits. There was no order in place and it had resulted in confusion in identifying genuine street vendors.