Street vendors meet CM Basavaraj Bommai in Mangaluru, air grievances

MANGALURU: Street vendors in Mangaluru city met chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday, and narrated their ordeal regarding various issues. Nearly 700 street vendors in the city have been demanding that the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) issue identity cards, provide security and extend government scheme benefits to them.
However, the city corporation has not issued identity cards, though the process of identification of street vendors has been completed by officials.
BK Imthiyaz, honorary president of the Dakshina Kannada District Street Vendors Welfare Association, said that though the Town Vending Committee (TVC) of the MCC has identified nearly 700 street vendors in the city, they have not been issued identity cards as per rules. Identifying street vendors and issuing identity cards to them are mandatory as per the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act. However, the MCC is yet to complete the process of issuing identity cards to street vendors identified by the TVC, he said.
"Initially, the police refused to give permission to us to meet the CM. However, when we warned of a protest, they allowed 10 of us to meet the CM, after the beneficiaries meet held at the Karavali Utsav ground. We conveyed the grievances of street vendors in Mangaluru city to the CM, who received our memorandum. The government sanctions loans under the Svanidhi se Samruddhi (PM Street Vendors AtmaNirbhar Nidhi) to street vendors. However, they will not be able to repay it, if they are not allowed to conduct business in the city," Imthiyaz said.
Association founder Sunil Kumar Bajal said that a delegation of street vendors apprised the chief minister about the apathy on part of officials of the MCC and people's representatives, who are reluctant to provide facilities to street vendors.
The CM has directed the deputy commissioner of Dakshina Kannada district to fulfil our demands immediately, he said.
He added that the association members will meet the DC and seek solutions to their problems, as directed by the CM.