THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The special squad under the city corporation recently evicted 12 street vendors from Rajendra Maidan at Pettah as part of an intensive drive launched to reclaim public spaces by clearing encroachment. The maidan has been the venue for all gatherings for India’s freedom struggle. It got its name after a 13-year-old boy named Rajendran was shot here in 1947.
Pettah ward councillor C S Suja Devi said there were plenty of petitions from residents, associations and pedestrians to reclaim the maidan encroached upon by vendors. “The maidan is of immense historical importance, and it is our responsibility to protect it. Of late, the number of vendors has gone up and it is becoming uncontrollable. As responsible citizens, we need to protect such historical places. The shops were evicted because of the public outrage and we have nothing against the vendors,” she said.
The maidan had been remaining in a state of neglect for years, and many encroached upon the area during this time. “We served them notices before carrying out the eviction, and some of them have even moved their things. The drive was carried out with the assistance of the police. After the pandemic outbreak, the number of encroachment had gone up,” said an official with the Pettah health circle.
The authorities said that only one of the 12 vendors has a valid licence. “We cannot allow illegal vendors to encroach on public spaces causing inconvenience to the public. Though the vendor, who had a licence, was permitted to run a semi-permanent stall, he carried out construction and illegally expanded it, encroaching upon a huge area,” said the official.
A senior official of the health wing under the city corporation said the civic body is planning to clear public spaces. “We have identified a couple of other locations where eviction is required, and we will clear all encroachment,” said the official.