Street vendors told to vacate Fort Kochi

KOCHI: The street vendors and the Kochi Corporation are locking horns over civic body’s decision to shift vendors from the main areas of attraction in this heritage city. Most of the street vendors have been served with notices to evict the place.“We have been issued notices to vacate the place within two months. The decision of the corporation is detrimental to me since this is the only source livelihood for my family,” said Harun, who has been running a petty shop for the last 15 years.The corporation said that it is the adamant attitude of the vendors  that has worsen the issue. “The corporation asked the vendors to vacate the place  after an alternative  facility was set up, near the Dutch Cemetery, to rehabilitate them. Unfortunately, they are not ready to shift to the  new place which can accommodate 64 vendors,” said K J Sohan, chairman of town planning standing committee of the corporation. He also said that the vendors are being removed as part of the efforts to make Fort Kochi more tourist-friendly.The government has its own side to this issue. The government tourist information officer Afsal said, “Outlets have been allotted to these vendors but they refuse to shift. The toruism department is planning to set up a facility where fine arts and skill shows will be staged daily. Eviction of vendors is inevitable for this purpose as the petty shops will obstruct the free movement of tourists.” One of the tourism department officials raised  a  serious allegation that the natives were sloping the goodwill of Fort Kochi by their bad behaviour which has lead to a decrease in the number of tourists coming here.