Street vendors have been evicted overnight without notice by BBMP last week from the streets of Vijayanagar. The vendors are protesting.
More than 200 street vendors of Vijayanagar were evicted by Bruhat Bengaluru MahanagaraPalike (BBMP) on Tuesday without notice. The reason given is the construction of Palika Bazar and complaints by owners of shops in that street.
The street vendors have filed a petition in the High Court of Karnataka under Vendors Protection Act. The court, on the 10th of August, ordered BBMP not to evict the vendors until shops inside Palika Bazar are allotted for them. In spite of this the BBMP has laid boards of ‘NO HAWKERS ZONE’ overnight and has removed all their tents and carts.
Street vendor Mr. Narayanappa said, “From the past 30 years I am selling fruits on footpath. Because of some vendors selling clothes and sandals on streets, there is loss for shop owners. So, they have filed a petition against all street vendors. But we are just selling fruits and vegetables on streets. BBMP should only clear them and allow us.”
Committee member of Vijayanagara Beedi Vyaparigala Okoota, Mr. Thippe Lingayya said, “Until vending committee is formed, BBMP has no rights to ask us for vacating. But now, without prior notice they cleared us. On August 10th High Court has ordered that until legal allotments are made for vendors in Bazaar, BBMP should not evacuate us.”
Mr. Babu S, President of AICCTU All India Council of Trade Unions Bangalore, Vijaynagar says, “Palika Bazaar construction is in progress. I request BBMP to allot all our street vendors inside bazaar legally”.
BBMP says they will finalise the allotment of vendors as soon as Palika Bazaar is constructed and vendors need not worry. Because of this confusion between the BBMP, street vendors and shop owners, fruit and vegetable vendors have complained that their sales have come down and that they have incurred huge losses.
