Dharmapuri street vendors seek protection as civic officials crack down on squatters

DHARMAPURI:  Street vendors operating in Dharmapuri Municipality submitted a petition with the Collector K Santhi seeking protection for their businesses. The vendors alleged that municipality officers were harassing them because they did not set up shop in the last ten days. During the grievance redressal programme on Monday, over 30 vendors affiliated with the Dharmapuri  Pushcart Laborers Development Association raised the issue.

M Krishnan, a street vendor told TNIE, “To run our business, we are paying Rs 20 to Rs 30 daily. But we have been prevented from running our business for the past ten days. If we set up stalls near Appavunagar or the Sports  Stadium road, we are chased away. ”

Another vendor, DK Siva said, “The municipality staff are demanding Rs 1000  from each vendor to allow business. If we do not pay, they threaten to arrest us and confiscate our carts. For the past ten days, our  livelihood has been crippled.”

When contacted, municipality commissioner  Chitra  Sugumar said, “The allegation is baseless. For the last one year, we have been clearing encroachments. To ensure vendors are not affected we have marked special zones. But vendors refuse to clear encroachments, especially in Appavu Nagar.  The narrow roads here cause severe problems and we are  trying to prevent large-scale traffic problems.”

Speaking about the closure of street vendors in the past ten days she said, “The CM trophy events were held in the district stadium and this has resulted in  Appavunagar and its surrounding having an increasing vehicle and people movement. The vendors were encroaching  roads and pavements resulting in severe  traffic disruption. Hence we did not allow them.”