In a bid to resolve the problems of street vendors who were evicted in a drive last week, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has constituted a committee to identify hawkers’ zones in the city.
Speaking to The Hindu after a meeting with the vendors, Mayor R. Lingappa said on Saturday that a committee comprising the local area councillor, public representative, representative from the vendor community, Assistant Commissioner and the jurisdictional police, has been constituted. “Each committee will identify a suitable place for the vendors in each ward and the vendors have to transact their business only in that specified place and they cannot over run the city”, said Mr. Lingappa.
The MCC is committed to helping the economically weaker section of society to earn their livelihood but there are people earning Rs. 30,000 a month through other sources who are in this business and this will be curbed, he added.
Apart from identifying a suitable place for the vendors to transact their business, the MCC will issue them licence and ID cards but under no circumstances will they be allowed to operate in core zones including tourist places, close to heritage buildings or over run the streets, said MCC Commissioner C.G. Betsurmath.
When pointed out that a section of vendors had already recommenced their business, the Mayor said if so then it was illegal and they would be evicted again. “The committee will identify the place first and the MCC will issue the licence and eligible vendors can commence operations from the first week of June”, according to the Mayor.
There are more than 4,500 vendors in the city of whom a majority are in the fast food business which is proliferating across the city. The MCC cracked down on their operations and evicted them from Krishna Vilas Road, Jayalaksmi Vilas Road and other places though vendors in residential areas were not targeted.
Mr. Betsurmath said they will go by the law and ensure that there was no compromise on city’s aesthetics or environment while balancing it with the livelihood imperatives of the poor and the needy.
“But not all who are in this business belong to the BPL families and we will crack down on such persons’’, he added.
