Street vendors may approach High Court

Mangalore, June 18: The fight of the street vendors for a proper place to carry out their business in Mangalore will be taken to the High Court.

State Janata Dal (Secular) general secretary M.G. Hegde told presspersons here on Saturday that the Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) had violated the orders of the Supreme Court in evicting the street vendors from the Central Market and the surrounding areas without providing them with an alternative arrangement. It had failed to respond even after the vendors went on a 24-hour protest on Thursday.

Mr. Hegde said that a legal notice had been issued to Mayor Praveen and corporation Commissioner K.N. Vijayaprakash.

They had been asked to provide proper facilities to street vendors. “We have given some time for them to comply with the Supreme Court's directive,” Mr. Hegde said. Yashwant Maroli, president of the All India Lawyers' Union's Dakshina Kannada unit, said if the Mayor and the Commissioner failed to act, the vendors would approach the High Court.

Mr. Hegde said the action of corporation personnel in evicting street vendors did not have the approval of the corporation council. There was bias in eviction as those affected were from the minority community.