The Kozhikode Corporation has begun cracking down on unauthorised shops within the city limits. Over 2,000 such shops are functioning in the city without securing the mandatory Kerala Trader Licence under the Kerala Municipality Amendment Act.
Earlier, shops had to get the Dangerous and Offensive Trade licence issued by urban local bodies. Last week, the health wing of the civic body sealed Beauty Stores on S.M. Street owned by T. Naseeruddin, president of the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samiti. “On Thursday, an unauthorised restaurant, Jenuvinte Chayakkada, functioning in the underground parking area at a complex at Karikkamkulam Junction was shut down,” Corporation Health Officer R.S. Gopakumar told The Hindu.
He said that most of these shops functioned on the commercial street for several years. Steps had been taken to identify these shops and serve notices on them to either obtain the trader licence or close down their business.
“At least five notices had been served on Beauty Stores since 2017. This matter was pending for quite some time. The restaurant was issued the notice some six months ago,” Dr. Gopakumar said. The health wing, he said, planned to bring about 30,000 shops in the city within the ambit of the licensing system. “As of now, 26,563 licences have been issued. Possibly this year, the Corporation will issue licence to about 28,000 shops,” he said.
Dr. Gopakumar said the Corporation had to deal with multiple issues regarding giving trader licence to shops.
One of the major issues is that shopkeepers are embroiled in legal battles with property owners. “Another issue is shops functioning on unauthorised buildings. But the State government has given instructions to deal with them firmly,” he said.
Also, some commercial establishments functioned from residential buildings too. At the same time, we have to humanely address the problem of small traders,” he said.
Now, many of the shop owners have approached the Corporation for new licences. “We expect at least 2,500 of them in the coming months. Some had earlier secured licences at least for one time. But about 1,000 shops remain indifferent,” he said.
Dr. Gopakumar said shopkeepers were misled by some samiti leaders that they need not obtain licence to run businesses.
Mr. Naseeruddin had secured a court order in 1988 based on a demand notice. But then the Corporation was governed by the Kerala Municipality Act, 1961. Then nobody challenged that notice.
Now, the laws are implemented based on the Municipality Act of 1994, he said.