Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Mar 2: As the 'Clean City' drive spearheaded by the Dakshina Kannada district deputy commissioner V Ponnuraj continues in the city and the illegal constructions and encroachments are being cleared off, a friction broke out between the merchants functioning in the Central Market of the city and the footpath vendors who abound in the market surroundings, on Sunday March 1.

The footpath vendors normally arrive with their stocks spread their wares on the streets around the Central Market on Sundays and conduct businesses. Accordingly, several women and men arrived at the Central Market on Sunday and started to sell their products as usual. The Central Market businessmen, who were extremely disturbed by the clean-up operations, entered into a verbal duel with the footpath vendors. They alleged that they had to suffer problems because of these vendors, and tried to evict them from the roads. Tension mounted, as the fight continued for some time.

The Karnataka State Reserve Police personnel, who were present at the site, interfered at this point, and resorted to mild caning to disperse the merchants. They also took two of the businessmen to the police station. The police sources later said that the businessmen were released, after questioning and warning them. As a result, footpath vendors could not go ahead with their normal business on Sunday.

It is learnt that the vendors conducting their fish trade in the old fish market located by the side of the Central Market,  vacated their illegal constructions and encroachments on their own  on Saturday itself, fearing that the City Corporation would otherwise demolish them.