Thiruvananthapuram: The issue of street food vendors and roadside eateries dominated the city corporation council meeting on Tuesday, with the LDF opposition accusing the BJP-led council of targeting ordinary vendors in its recent drive against unauthorised food outlets.The discussion witnessed heated exchanges between the ruling BJP and opposition councillors over the corporation’s action against thattukadas (wayside eateries) and other roadside food outlets. Opposition councillors alleged that the drive had adversely affected people who depended on small food stalls for their livelihood.LDF parliamentary party leader S P Deepak said the action amounted to an injustice to ordinary ‘thattukada’ operators and alleged that the corporation was creating difficulties for people dependenting on such establishments for their livelihood.UDF parliamentary party leader K S Sabarinadhan, while supporting action against illegal commercial establishments, said that thattukadas being run as extensions of hotels and other large food businesses should be removed. However, he said stalls being operated by ordinary people as their means of livelihood should be protected.Town planning standing committee chairperson Pattoor Radhakrishnan and councillors including Karamana Ajith and V V Girikumar also took part in the discussion.Karamana Ajith alleged that three thattukadas at Shanghumugham had been operated by the same person and that two of the three stalls had been sold for around Rs 5 lakh each. He said the situation at Shanghumugham was such that thattukadas were being treated as commercial assets rather than as small livelihood-based establishments run by ordinary people.Vanchiyoor Babu, representing the LDF, alleged that the corporation’s drive was affecting ordinary vendors by treating all roadside food outlets alike.BJP councillors maintained that the action was primarily aimed at unauthorised stalls operated by commercial establishments and not genuine street vendors who depended on the business for their livelihood. They also alleged that some stalls were selling food brought from hotels and catering establishments while operating as roadside outlets. BJP councillor V G Girikumar said that the LDF had done nothing in the last 10 years to form a dedicated food vending zone and their allegations against the present governing council were baseless.The debate ended with the council indicating that a mechanism would be worked out to distinguish genuine livelihood-based vendors from commercial operators functioning illegally.
