MCC begins drive against footpath encroachments in Mysuru
In line with the drive against the encroachment of footpaths in Bengaluru, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has also begun clearing encroachments from footpaths in
In line with the drive against the encroachment of footpaths in Bengaluru, the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has also begun clearing encroachments from footpaths in parts of the city. Even as the MCC authorities went about removing kiosks, pushcarts, and other encroachments in Metagalli and KRS Road on Thursday and Friday, a statement issued by the office of the MCC Commissioner said directions had been issued to the individuals occupying the footpaths and carrying out commercial activities on them to remove the encroachment completely in two days. A press release by the MCC pointed out that several individuals have illegally encroached upon public footpaths for commercial activities. “As a result, pedestrians are being forced to walk on the main carriageway, putting their lives at risk. This has also been contributing to persistent traffic congestion and road accidents,” the statement said.
The release noted that the Supreme Court has categorically ruled that public roads and footpaths are public property and cannot be encroached upon under any circumstances. The court has also clarified that keeping footpaths free for pedestrians is a fundamental right. In view of the larger public interest and in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directions, the MCC has instructed all those concerned to remove footpath encroachments completely within two days. “Failure to comply will invite legal action in accordance with the law for violating the Supreme Court’s orders,” the MCC Commissioner said in the release. As part of the MCC’s operation, petty shops, kiosks, and pushcarts selling fast food items, vendors selling wares, boards, and nameboards put up on the footpaths near Jayadeva Hospital on KRS Road, Metagalli, and Kalidasa Road were also removed.
Meanwhile, footpath vendors near Sayyaji Rao Road and Gandhi Square expressed concern over the drive and said their families would have to starve if they were evicted. The footpath shops were their only source of livelihood. They had to take care of their children, feed them, and pay their school fees, while also looking after their elderly parents and taking care of their medical expenses from the meagre earnings. Most of them said they have been engaged in vending on footpaths for decades and were not in a position to engage in any other trade to earn their livelihood. Karnataka State Street Vendors Mahamandala leader Bhaskar Srinivasa Raje Urs, who is also a member of the Town Vending Committee of the MCC, questioned the rationale behind the drive taken up by the authorities even after inviting bids from agencies to survey street vendors in the city and issue them identity cards.
The BriefWire