Ex-serviceman seeks Collector’s help

A cobbler, who worked for the Indian Army as a boot-maker for over two decades, and has been repairing shoes for a living in Udhagamandalam along Commercial Road since 2008, petitioned the District Collector after the municipality evicted him from a section of the pavement where he had set up his stall, and confiscated some of his possessions.

N. Sekar (61) from Khandal said that he was recruited through Madras Regimental Centre and worked in Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru as a boot-maker.

After his retirement, he was unable to find any other job, and could only support his ailing wife, who had osteoarticular tuberculosis, by working as a cobbler inside town.

Since then, he had taken up a small section of the footpath on Commercial Road and had been fixing shoes.

Evicted

However, the municipality evicted him from the pavement and confiscated some shoes and leather jackets given to him by a few customers.

Mr. Sekar said that almost all his pension amount went towards his wife’s medical expenses, while he himself is not in the best of health. “I have had a few surgeries over the last few years, and I too require medical care,” he said.

“I earn less than ₹ 200 a day, and pleaded with the municipality officials to return my possessions, after which they let me have them. However, they warned me not to open my business again,” added Sekar.

He met the Collector and urged her to give him permission to set up his stall once again.