Left-led street vendors besiege Tiruchy Corpn against eviction

TIRUCHY: Claiming that the move by the city Corporation to remove vendors from pavements in Tiruchy has a direct bearing on the livelihood, the shopkeepers attempted to lay siege to the civic body office on Thursday.

The roadside vendors demanded that the Corporation allow them to do business from the same spot from where they were evicted.

Police on duty thwarted the attempt made by representatives of platform vendors headed by CPM District Secretary Raja and CITU District Secretary Rangarajan, who converged in front of the Corporation office. Cops placed barricades to stop the protesters from blocking the premises.

The protesting members said that civic administration should implement the Street Vendors Act to protect their livelihood. They also demanded the conduct of a census of the platform vendors in the city, distribution of identity cards to the shopkeepers and allowing them to do business in the same place where they have been doing so for a long time.

They alleged that the police and council members had been collecting bribes from the vendors and demanded action against them. They also charged that the police were acting in a highhanded manner against the platform vendors while removing them.

A few vendors had even been injured during the eviction drive, they claimed and demanded action against the police.

As they weren’t able to lay siege, protesters resorted to raising slogans and tried to move towards the Corporation office. There was chaos for some time in the melee. Later, the officials held talks with the agitating members and the representatives dispersed after a while based on assurances.