Mangalore : Vasanth Achary, district general secretary of CITU inaugurated the street vendors first convention held at Nasik Bangera Hall, behind RTO office on Thursday March 29.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that street vendors are the part of society. Every street vending is seen in all the major streets in the country. The central government in the year 2009 had passed a national law to all the states to give proper facilities to the street vendors for their business. The Supreme Court had given the verdict to the local district administration to protect the street vendors. Around two and half crore population in the country are working as the streets vendors to earn. In such a situation, the Mangalore City Corporation in the reason of beautifying the city is organizing continuous raids on the street vendors and seizes their properties.

The street vendors have taken a lot of pain mentally and physically when they were attacked by the police officials during raids. The central government must implement the 2012 street vendors’ policy effectively and make different arrangement for the temporary and permanent vendors, he said. No party is speaking in support of poor people. The government must give the pension to vendors along with house, place for vending, drinking water facility, sanitary facility and Bhima Yojana, he said.

The BJP government is giving crores of money for mutts and temples, but not giving to poor people for the construction of houses, government hospitals and government schools, he said.

CITU district president Balakrishna Shetty said that large number of people have made an effort to stop the vendors movement, but the determination of street vendors have achieved to some extent.

He also said that MCC claims that street vendors are creating problem for the pedestrians but most of the pedestrians are seen purchasing vegetables, fruits and other things from the street vendors since they get in nominal prize after bargain, but is not possible in the big malls for the poor, he said. Further too, CITU will render support to poor people’s organization, he added.

Organization president Santhosh Kumar read the demand for Rastriya Bhima Yojana.

Sunil Kumar Bajal and others were present.