Dismantling of temporary ‘Deepavali’ shops irks street vendors

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had asked the Thanjavur Corporation to remove these temporary shops after a resident filed a petition saying they were hindering movement of people and vehicles

The removal of temporary structures of shops along the Gandhiji Road and other roads in Thanjavur Town was opposed by the AITUC, which urged the Thanjavur Collector to ensure that an alternative site was identified immediately to help street vendors utilise the ‘Deepavali’ season sale opportunity.

In the past few years, street vendors were allowed to put up temporary shops during festival season on roadsides in the main Bazaar area near the Ayyasamy Vandaiyar Memorial Bus Stand (the Old Bus Stand) after remitting the necessary charges to the civic body.

This year, according to the AITUC Street Vendors’ Union, the temporary structures started coming up on the Gandhiji Road and other places. On October 24, these structures were removed by the civic body citing an order from Madras High Court Bench, Madurai.

The court had ordered the removal of temporary shop structures from roadsides since the applicant claimed that such shops hinder the movement of people and vehicles through the carriageways.

Street vendors, who have booked their spaces with the civic body, have approached the district administration seeking a direction to the civic body to allocate a suitable place for them to carry on with their ‘festival season sales’, AITUC sources added.

Published - October 24, 2024 05:37 pm IST