Shop owners request for alternative arrangements

Mysuru: Vendors atop Chamundi Hill have urged District Minister V. Somanna not to evict their shops until an alternative arrangement was provided by the authorities.

In a meeting presided by Additional DC B.R. Poornima and ZP CEO K. Jyothi at the Dasoha Bhavan atop the Hill yesterday, the vendors said that about 340 persons including 91 vendors have been dependent on the shops for many years to lead their daily life and added that if evicted from the current location, it would only lead to crisis as their families would come to streets.

Few of the shop owners also demanded the officials not to consider them as unauthorised vendors just because they had been denied the licence for the past few years.

Reacting to District Administration’s decision to shift them to an alternative place, the unlicensed vendors said that shifting them to a deserted place would only add to their worries and demanded the authorities to provide them space near the parking area. 

Stating that the new shops constructed in the multi-level parking complex lacked basic amenities, the vendors said that they would voluntarily vacate the existing shops if suitable alternative arrangements were provided by the authorities. 

Joining the vendors, the Chamundi Hill Gram Panchayat (GP) Members also opined that the authorities had to safeguard the interest of residents atop the hill and added that the shop-keepers and their families were dependent on the daily earnings from the business and it would be difficult for them to fulfil their daily needs if shifted to a bad location.

Both Addl. DC and ZP CEO, who heard the shop owners, assured to bring the matter to the notice of DC Abhiram G. Sankar and District Minister V. Somanna. 

Chamundi Hill GP President Geetha, Vice-President Narendra Nayak, Tahsildhar T. Ramesh Babu, PWD Executive Engineer Vinay Kumar, AEE Raju, Temple Executive Officer (in-Charge) Yathiraj Sampath Kumaran, Taluk Panchayat Executive Officer  Krishna Kumar, Managing Committee President Kalaiah and around 250 vendors attended the meeting.

It may be recalled that, District Minister V. Somanna, who had visited the Chamundi Hill recently to inspect the development works, had instructed the officials to evict the shops located near the Temple.

Later, the shop owners had met Somanna at Jaladarshini Guest House on Wednesday last and requested him not evict their shops until a suitable alternative arrangement was made.

They also held a protest yesterday by shutting down their businesses to show the inconvenience to be caused to tourists and devotees on shops being shifted to a different location.

Earlier, the vendors had also met former Chief Minister Siddharamaiah in Bengaluru and sought his intervention to prevent the eviction of their shops. Following this, the former CM had contacted DC Abhiram G. Sankar and Minister Somanna and had requested them not to evict the shops until an alternative arrangement was made.

Minister Somanna, speaking to Star of Mysore, had said that safeguarding the environment atop Chamundi Hill was to be given utmost priority and added that devotees should be provided with best of the facilities atop the Hill. 

Stating that former CM Siddharamaiah had been briefed about the existing problems atop the Hill, Minister Somanna added that he would revisit Chamundi Hill for another round of inspection and assured that measures would taken to safeguard the interest of the vendors.