• MCC apathy leads to mushrooming of roadside furniture and clothing shops
• Shops obstruct vehicular traffic, endanger commuters’ lives and litter the area

Why must traders pay MCC trade licence fee when competition is doing business for free?

Mysuru: In Mysuru city, there has been a rising trend of hawkers occupying footpaths and vacant spaces along main and arterial roads to sell cheap household items such as furniture, plastic-wrapped sofa sets, wooden almirahs, plastic chairs, shelves and computer tables.

While these sales may appeal to budget-conscious buyers, they present significant safety and economic concerns.

These roadside markets not only inconvenience pedestrians but also pose serious safety risks. Motorists frequently stop their vehicles on busy roads to haggle with vendors, leading to accidents and disruptions in traffic.

Several main roads across the city have become hotspots for these makeshift markets yet the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has not taken any action to vacate them.

Unholy nexus?

Many traders, who have been running their business by paying taxes, accused local leaders and officials of colluding with traders from North India who buy furniture, clothes and cell-phone covers in bulk and deploy kiosks across city roads to sell them.

They said in spite of these shops posing a threat to commuters and littering, no action is taken against them.

Why should we pay tax?

Many traders expressed anger asking, “Why must we pay property tax, trade licence fee, GST, etc., when they allow competition to sell similar products on the road for free where they don’t have to pay any taxes?”

Some said it was a loss to government because what the footpath vendors should pay in taxes to government is going to the pockets of government officials.

Bad for ‘Clean City’ image

Many traders also mocked the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) that hopes to make Mysuru the Cleanest City, was actually making the city look ugly and dirty by allowing roadside shops to thrive. MCC’s apathy to this illegal activity going on right in front of its eyes is not only bad for the economy of Mysuru but also for the image of Mysuru as a clean and tourist-friendly destination.

Hoteliers have similar complaints

Meanwhile, even the licensed hoteliers of Mysuru have been complaining the recent spurts of numerous roadside cafes which have been putting tables and chairs on the footpaths is causing loss to licensed hotels while also causing pollution and a tourist eyesore.

MCC will vacate hawkers

When SOM tried to contact the MCC Commissioner, he was unavailable to comment but spoke to Dr. Venkatesh, Chief Health Officer, MCC, instead, who said: “This hawker menace, occupying footpaths, has come to our attention. We will take action to remove them as they cause business losses to legitimate traders and the Government receives no revenue through GST since they don’t pay taxes or obtain trade licences. Additionally, there is no way to assess the product quality, which may pose health risks. We will soon convene a meeting of the Street Vendors Committee and take steps to vacate these hawkers engaged in illegal business.”

‘MCC must end this illegality’

Hawkers selling furniture on footpaths are inflicting significant losses on legitimate businesses in Mysuru, which adhere to legal requirements by paying taxes, obtaining trade licences from the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), employing staff and covering operational costs. These hawkers are undermining the business community and need to be curbed. The MCC should take immediate action to prevent this illegal practice from continuing.  Additionally, they pose a serious risk to public safety, as customers often park their vehicles on the roads to bargain and make purchases, leading to accidents. We will soon submit a memorandum to the MCC Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner to address and put an end to this unlawful activity. — K.B. Lingaraju, President, Mysore Chamber of Commerce and Industry