The “Civic Tiger”, which is a team of officials of Mangalore City Corporation with a lorry meant for evicting pavement and street vendors, will not operate till June 6.
The decision was taken at a meeting Mayor Praveen had with representatives of street vendors and councillors here on Thursday.
When the representatives demanded that the eviction should be stopped permanently the Mayor said he would announce the decision of the corporation on Monday. The Mayor said he would announce the decision of the civic body on making alternative arrangements for the vendors.
The meeting had been convened to discuss issues relating to pavement and street vending after vendors opposed the “Civic Tiger” for frequently evicting them. Though the meeting lasted more than two hours the participants could not arrive at a consensus as far as lasting solution was concerned.
Towards the end of the meeting, the Mayor said the eviction would continue but had to change his stance when a section of participants pointed out that such decision would render the meeting an exercise in futility. They said the eviction should be stopped till Monday to which the Mayor agreed.
Representatives of bodies affiliated to the Left parties, leaders of the Dalit Sangarsh Samiti, and councillors of the Congress demanded that the civic body should not evict them as it was the question of their livelihood. Councillors from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said the corporation had received complaints from people that the pavement vendors and street vendors were a problem in busy city bus stand and Lady Goschen Hospital areas.
Muneer Katipalla, president, Dakshina Kannada unit of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), said there was no truth in the allegations that street vendors sell drugs. P.V. Mohan, a Congress leader who represented Constitutional Movement, a forum, said the Supreme Court had ruled that the interests of pavement and street vendors should be protected. The court had directed State government to frame a policy on the pavement and street vendors before June 30.
Rita Noronha, chief convenor, Constitutional Rights Movement, a forum, said a civic body should identify pavement and street-hawking zones in the city. They should be in populous areas. The vendors should be given identity cards. The civic body could collect nominal rent from them.
Honarary president of footpath and street vendors association Sunil Kumar Bajal said the civic body could mark the space allotted to the vendors at city bus stand and Lady Goschen Hosptial areas for their business.
The former Deputy Mayor Rajendra said earlier the corporation had reserved a 1,700 sq. ft. on the premises of the Central Market for street vendors.
But they had refused to move in there. That area was now lying idle.
