T’puram: The 16 kiosks set up at Shanghumugham beach for rehabilitating street food vendors, which have remained shut for the past several months amid disputes over allotment, are likely to become operational by Nov, with the corporation planning to take a decision on the issue within the next two weeks.The kiosks, developed as part of the corporation’s efforts to streamline street vending at the popular tourist destination, were designed with a uniform colour scheme and common appearance. However, despite the infrastructure being ready, the shops have not been opened as the town vending committee is yet to take a final decision on the allotment of the units. The committee is expected to be reconstituted and convened within the next two weeks to settle the issue.Corporation officials said the primary objective would be to rehabilitate genuine street vendors who were displaced from their earlier vending locations at Shanghumugham.“A beneficiary list for the rehabilitation has already been prepared by the corporation in consultation with the town vending committee. However, objections and competing claims from people who are not included in the beneficiary list have complicated the process. Shanghumugham, being a major tourist destination and a commercially attractive location, has drawn interest from several people seeking vending space there. The corporation is therefore keen to ensure that the kiosks are allotted only to eligible beneficiaries identified through the prescribed process,“ said corporation secretary Mohammed Shafi.The proposed rehabilitation is part of a larger effort to regulate vending at the beach and prevent unregulated stalls from occupying the redeveloped beachfront. The corporation had earlier identified 116 vendors at Shanghumugham, while 16 food vendors were earmarked for the newly constructed kiosks. Allocations were proposed based on seniority and the town vending committee’s rehabilitation process.The delay in opening the kiosks has been particularly significant as the corporation is now looking at expanding the concept of designated food streets across the city. The civic body has recently initiated steps to establish food streets at several locations to provide organised spaces for street food vendors while addressing issues of pavement encroachment and traffic congestion.Against this backdrop, the corporation is also considering developing the 16-kiosk facility at Shanghumugham as a dedicated food zone. Once operational, the facility is expected to offer visitors a more organised street-food experience, with vendors operating from designated spaces rather than scattered stalls along the beachfront.The timing could also coincide with the completion of the latest beautification and redevelopment works at Shanghumugham. The beach has undergone a major redevelopment programme involving the corporation, Smart City Thiruvananthapuram and tourism-related agencies, with the objective of improving visitor facilities and restoring the destination as a major tourist attraction.The state’s food-street programme has also identified Shanghumugham as a location for modernising street food infrastructure, with emphasis on hygiene, waste management and better facilities for visitors and vendors.
