The Public Works Department (PWD) in Kochi has issued move-out notices to street vendors operating on Shanmugham Road. According to officials, the notices are part of a previously formulated plan to relocate vendors. However, vendors have responded that they are unwilling to vacate, stating that the Kochi Corporation had allowed them to continue operating from the same location. A PWD official remarked, 'The vendors claim the corporation permitted them to stay. We will now seek a response from the Kochi Corporation and decide on further action accordingly.'
Mayor's Response and Background
Mayor V K Minimol noted that the PWD's action might be linked to earlier proposals to shift vendors to designated street vending zones. 'We have not yet received any official communication from the PWD,' she said. During the tenure of the previous municipal council, the corporation had planned to relocate vendors from Shanmugham Road and had identified alternative vending zones to streamline traffic and pedestrian movement.
Previous Surveys and Licensing
In 2020, an initial survey was conducted to enumerate street vendors across the city. Based on that survey, temporary licenses were granted. Subsequently, under the leadership of Kudumbashree and the Centre for Socio-Economic-Environmental Studies (CSES), resurveys were carried out to identify additional eligible vendors. Through the Town Vending Committee (TVC), the corporation has approved 2,351 street vendors via various processes.
The situation remains unresolved as the corporation and PWD continue discussions on the relocation plan. The vendors' refusal and the corporation's stance will determine the next steps in this ongoing dispute over street vending rights in Kochi.
