Officials ignore footpath encroachment in Mysuru despite Supreme Court order | Mysuru News
Mysuru: The civic agencies across the state started to reclaim the footpaths from vendors following a recent Supreme Court order, but in Mysuru, the officials remained blind to the problem.As a result, pedestrians are forced to walk on the road, causing traffic congestion and threatening their lives.Experts and stakeholders urged the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) and city police to intervene immediately to help the pedestrians claim the footpath.According to the city residents, with the civic agencies and police failing to act as per the rule book, in many places, vendors have come out with permanent structures on the footpaths. The garages on both sides of the busy Chamaraja Double Road, eateries, and shops are near the city’s hospitals, and bus stands are such permanent structures, they said. They allege that even though the footpaths belong to pedestrians, these vendors force them to walk on the road, exposing them to accidents.Advocate PJ Raghavendra said the corporation and city police failed the pedestrians by allowing rampant footpath encroachment. “Unfortunately, even in the heart of the city, footpaths are encroached, and officials are silent,” he alleged.“In many places, encroachments are carried out by criminal elements with the patronage of power. Sadly, civic agencies failed to protect the rights of the people,” he said.AAP leader and activist Malavika Gubbivani advised the MCC to follow the Chandigarh model, where separate arrangements have been made for the street vendors. “Due to the current economic crisis, many are opting for roadside businesses. They should be provided with designated spots for the business. At the same time, the footpaths must be saved for the pedestrians,” she said.Bhaskara Srinivasa Raje Urs, president of Karnataka State Street Vendors Maha Mandala, said if the Street Vendors Act 2014 is implemented in the true spirit, this problem can be solved. “Both state and central govts framed rules for street vendors. But they are not implemented, which resulted in this chaos,” he said.
