KOCHI: Tension prevailed in Fort Kochi for a few hours on Saturday morning when the street vendors in the beach area resisted an eviction drive by the Revenue Department officers. Following a scuffle between the vendors and the police personnel, around five persons were taken into preventive custody. At least two persons, including a civil police officer, were injured in the melee.As part of the eviction drive, a team of Revenue Department officers led by the RDO and police personnel reached Fort Kochi by 7 am.
But the street vendors resisted the move citing they had received a stay order from the High Court against the eviction notice issued by the Revenue Department. They alleged the eviction drive was being conducted every year and there was no permanent solution to the issue.
T B Mini, lawyer and secretary of Janadhipathya Vanitha Sanghatana, who was also taken into preventive custody, said the Revenue Department officers flouted all rules to evict the vendors. “The Revenue Department has no right to evict the traders. The vendors were doing their business on the Corporation land and the Revenue Department was acting without communicating with the local body. The Mayor and others have promised to rehabilitate the vendors and distributed cards for their welfare programme. Besides, the High Court had stayed action on the notices served by the authorities,” she said.
According to the police, the five persons were taken into custody in the morning when the eviction drive began and they were later released. “They were released around 3 pm, soon after a protest march taken out by the street vendors ended. No case has been registered against them’’, a police officer said.
However, the Revenue Department officers said they had served notice on the vendors a week ago.
The eviction drive was undertaken as part of commencing Fort Kochi beautification work. It is alleged a majority of the vendors are running their businesses by encroaching the footpath in the area.