THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With Onam shopping rush peaking in the capital, street vendors at East Fort are allegedly being subjected to unauthorised collections, with receipts issued in the name of a purported organisation that reportedly does not exist.
The collections are taking place openly in the busy commercial hub, raising questions over the inaction of the corporation and police as hundreds of seasonal vendors set up shop in the area during the festival.
A vendor from Uttar Pradesh, who has been coming to Kerala for more than a decade to sell textile goods during festival seasons, said this was the first time he had faced such a collection in the capital.
“We are poor vendors from outside the state trying to earn a living for our families back home. If we resist or complain, we risk getting beaten up or chased away. We pay just to avoid conflict and keep working,” a seasonal vendor from UP.
The vendors, many of whom are from other states and depend on the Onam season for their livelihood, said they were reluctant to resist the collections for fear of being driven away or facing threats.
“I brave the sun and rain all day and hardly earn between Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000 at the end of the day. Rs 500 means a significant portion of my income,” he said.
With TNIE raising the issue with the city corporation, the civic body has decided to approach the police.
“We have submitted a complaint to the city police commissioner and legal action is being taken,” said Mayor V V Rajesh. He said the corporation would pursue the matter with the police and ensure legal action against the culprits.
LDF parliamentary party leader S P Deepak said, “Fake organisations and fake receipts are being used to collect lakhs of rupees, while small roadside vendors are being threatened. This is nothing but extortion. Strict police action should be taken against such fake collections,” adding that the corporation has to take action.