Street Vendors stage Protest against CMC for Vacating stalls
Udupi: Street vendors supported by CPI(M) members staged a protest against the CMC for vacating the stalls of street vendors without prior notice. There was a commotion between the CPI(M) members and the CMC authorities near the Service bus stand, Udupi here on December 14.
The street vendors said that they were engaged in selling fruits and other commodities from many years in the service bus stand area. The selling of fruits and other items have never created hurdles to the common public or in the swift movement of buses. The CMC authorities without prior notice have seized our fruits and other items which are the only means of earning our daily bread. They have been asking us to vacate our stalls and set up stalls in areas where the CMC has provided.
The places provided by the CMC are not visited by people and any kind of business is impossible there for the street vendors. Street vendors buy fruits and other items on credit, selling them in places provided by the CMC authorities is impossible.
The CMC authorities want to use the space used by street vendors for vehicle parking. The CMC authorities should not destroy the lives of street vendors by vacating them forcibly, added Timmareddy.
Kaviraj and Balakrishna Shetty of CPIM said that the CMC instead of protecting the interests of the street vendors are destroying their lives.
Balakrishna Shetty said that the previous congress led UPA government which brought the Street Vendors Protection Act is now destroying them in Udupi.
CMC President Meenakshi Madhav Bannaje, CMC Councillors Celina Karkada and others were present.