Pics: Spoorthi Ullal

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (ANK)

Mangaluru, Aug 5: Mayor Sudheer Shetty Kannur announced that the 'Operation Tiger' targeting illegal street vendors will continue.

Addressing the media on Monday, August 5, the mayor said, "We have received numerous complaints about illegal petty shops through our phone-in program and council meetings. I had announced that the 'Operation Tiger' would commence on July 29. Street vendors have occupied streets and footpaths, causing disturbances to the public and traffic movement. From a health perspective, the food served is often unhygienic; vendors use unclean oil, reuse water for cleaning vessels, and some shops sell cigarettes, gutka, tasting powder, ajinomoto, and even alcohol."

He added, "We initiated the 'Operation Tiger' to address these health concerns, and it will continue. During the operation, we discovered insects and cockroaches in some establishments. On July 27, we received a request letter from the Street Vendors Association, but they did not meet with me personally."

The mayor further explained, "Through the Town Vending Committee, 1,047 street vendors were identified, but only 10 members were issued ID cards symbolically. The Street Vendors Association claimed that even officials evicted shops with ID cards and that 667 ID cards were issued. However, when ID cards were issued, 18 conditions were imposed, which the vendors did not agree to. As a result, only 10 ID cards were issued symbolically."

He concluded, "In the coming days, we will set up vending zones and food streets. While I am concerned about the poor, vendors must operate within the established system."