COIMBATORE: Street vendors, traders and call taxi drivers, who operate near Ganapathy bus stand, requested Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) to reconsider its decision to evacuate them following the Madras High Court’s verdict in favour of the civic body. However, officials said the request cannot be entertained as the land has been earmarked for Sathy Road widening project.
Around 25 street vendors, traders and call taxi drivers voiced concerns after civic officials served them evacuation notice on Monday. The town planning department officials of the civic body meanwhile fenced the land and installed a board warning action against trespassers.
“We have been carrying out trade on this land for several years. All these traders are doing small-scale business and not big industrialists with a hefty turnover. These shops are the only livelihood for us. We can’t afford to move to a different location and pay rent for a bigger store,” said Shanthi, one of the traders from Ganapathy.
Dhanalakshmi, a vendor, told TNIE, “All of sudden, the civic body officials issued a notice and are asking us to vacate the land within two days. How can we just shut down and give up our years of livelihood in two days? The officials must consider our plea and allot us the same land on a humanitarian basis. We are even ready to pay minimum rent for the land.”Call taxi drivers who have set up a taxi stand demanded the officials to revoke the decision.
CCMC Deputy Commissioner Dr M Sharmila told TNIE, “The land on the Sathy Road near the Ganapathy bus stand was under dispute. A few days ago, the court’s verdict came in favour of the civic body and the court announced that the land belongs to the CCMC. So the officials had installed fences and erected the board to stop encroachments.”
“As the land which is worth Rs 5 crore has been earmarked by the officials for the Sathy Road Widening Project works, the civic body has ordered the traders to vacate the land within two days. So we have no choice but to vacate the traders and hand over the land for the expansion project,” she added.