MCC Street Vendors Hawking Zone Now a Street Beggars Sleeping Zone?

MCC Street Vendors Hawking Zone Now a Street Beggars Sleeping Zone?

The entrance sign to the MCC Street Vendors Hawking Zone in Kannada reads “Beedhi Badhi Vyparasthara Valaya” (Street Side Vendors Zone). But looking at the present situation the sign needs to be changed to “Beedhi Badhi Bikshukara Valaya?” (Street Side Beggars Zone?)

Mangaluru: One thing for sure is that Mangaluru City Corporation knows how to spend and waste Tax Payers Money, on projects that don’t serve any purpose to the citizens. And one such project where few lakhs of taxpayers money has gone down the drain is the recently constructed “Street Vendors Hawking Zone” near to Town Hall-Mangaluru. A long-pending demand of street vendors to have a designated hawking place in the city was met with MCC making arrangements to accommodate them in about one acre land (behind Town Hall) a few months ago. But alas seems like this project has been a waste of money since the street vendors are reluctant to move to this new hawking place. At present when you walk into hawking place you will not find not even a single veg or fruit vendors, instead, you’ll see homeless, drunkards and stray dogs sleeping or loitering in the area. What a wastage of money on an unplanned project.

Looking at the present situation of the Hawking Zone, the sign needs to be changed to ” Beedhi Badhi Bikshukara Valaya?” ( Street Side Beggars Zone?)

These losers don’t have money for food, but they have money to gamble?

Some time ago after much pressure from MCC, a few vendors from the market road/state bank area moved into this hawking place after being warned by MCC that their identity cards issued to them would be cancelled if they don’t relocate. However, the vendors alleged that MCC didn’t provide basic facilities at the new vending zone and that not many customers come there. They didn’t stay there not even for a day- and now everyone is back at the original place doing their business near the congested State Bank area. With the vendors demanding that basic facilities should be provided and initiatives are taken to attract customers, the MCC tried to restructure the area by lowering the height of the surrounding wall, and also few other basic facilities. But looking at the present situation of this Zone, it looks like there had been an Earthquake in that area or someone bombed this zone?

Now that the MCC is once again spending money in making some changes like lowering the wall and minor changes here and there so that the vendors could come back- but it is very much doubtful that the street vendors will move back to the new vending zone no matter what facilities MCC will provide them. They are all used to their old location and no one wants to relocate. Anyways let’s wait and see what action MCC will take once this new vending zone gets a new look with new basic facilities. Seems like MCC is listening and acting as per the orders of street vendors, who don’t even pay taxes nor have trade licences like other legal veg and fruit sellers. Nice to be an illegal street vendor, don’t you think so?

Get a room, Romeo and Juliet?

But in the meantime, this MCC Street Vendors Hawking Zone has been a haven for beggars, homeless, drunkards, stray dogs etc. Also when MCC is talking about keeping Mangaluru Swachh- just look at this property which is owned by MCC filled with filth, garbage etc (see pics)- even people are seen urinating in this area. Talk about these homeless/beggars who cry that they don’t have money to buy food, but they have money to gamble- Team Mangalorean caught them on camera. (see pic). Even drunkards who don’t have a place to sleep, use this zone as their rest area.

Now the question is that, why is MCC neglecting on this project? Why can’t they restore it at the earliest and put it to use? Or come up with a better project and make use of this prime locality instead of allowing it rot? Is anyone at MCC listening? I hope so, including our daring Mayor Kavitha, who still has three more months to go in the office?

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