6000 Bengaluru street vendors to go on strike on August 3

In a bid to end the undue interference of the civic authorities, Bengaluru's roadside vendors will be going on a strike on Wednesday. 

Close to 6000 hawkers and roadside merchants are likely to participate in the protest. "The vendors will march from Azad Chandrashekar Playground in Malleshwaram till Freedom Park," said Roadside Vendors’ Association president Rangaswamy.

Vegetable vendors, fast food eateries, cloth merchants, fruit-sellers, flower-sellers, and petty shop owners will be protesting against the alleged interference and the exploitation by civic authorities. 

The supply of fruits, vegetables and other such items will be affected because of the strike.

The roadside vendors in Bengaluru have been demanding the issue of identity cards among a couple of other demands.

Major markets such as K R Market, Yeshwantpur and Kalasipalya have agreed to support the strike. Even hawkers from outside Bengaluru's urban areas and other parts of the state are likely to participate in the agitation. 

The federation of roadside hawkers had submitted a memorandum to Bengaluru's in-charge minister Ramalinga Reddy in June 2015. It has been reported that he promised to consider their demands within three days after consulting with the concerned officials. However, no such promises were fulfilled by the minister.

In other states, vending committees have been constituted to facilitate roadside hawkers’ businesses.  Except in Bengaluru and Mysuru, committees have been formed everywhere else in Karnataka. The office bearers of the hawkers’ federation contend that if the long-pending committee is formed then it would be easier to attain basic facilities from the government. 

The demand for a separate roadside hawkers' committee is under consideration and appropriate action will be taken soon," said BBMP commissioner Manjunath Prasad.
 

• Bengaluru
• Hawkers' Association
• strike
• August 3