Street vendors evicted from around Theppakulam in Tiruchy

TIRUCHY: The Tiruchy civic administration evicted the platform vendors around Theppakulam near Dhayumanvar Swamy temple in Rockfort at NSB road based on the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court order on Friday and relocated them to the Old Corporation Road.

The plantform vendors were doing business around Theppakulam in NSB road for several decades, and social and environmental activists had demanded to evict them for reviving the Theppakulam, which is a landmark near Rockfort.

But the vendors had opposed the move of the civic administration and approached the court, which was challenged by the civic administration, and the court directed to go ahead with the decision, but ordered to identify an alternate spot for the vendors.

On Thursday, the Street Vending Committee of Tiruchy Corporation was held, chaired by the Commissioner Madhubalan, in which it was decided to remove the vendors around Theppakulam.

As per the decision, the officials removed the shops starting Thursday night until Friday, overseen by the Commissioner Madhubalan.

Meanwhile, the vendors on Friday staged a protest against the removal of shops around Theppakulam. The vendors said that the removal led to lose their livelihood and demanded to withdraw the decision by the civic administration.

On information, Tiruchy East Tahsildhar Jayakumar and Fort Police rushed to the spot and held talks with the protesting vendors. As there was no decision arrived upon, the vendors continued their protest.