Manipal: Petty shops become victims of road widening project

By Snehalatha, Udupi
Bellevision Media Network

Manipal, 09 Nov 2012: “As the Udupi Municipal Council has undertaken the project of widening  the Manipal-Parkala Road and also provide an appropriate bust stand, the  petty shops  by the side of the road cannot be saved as they are an hindrance to the road development”, said the Municipal Council President Kiran Kumar  addressing a meeting in the council.

 

On Thursda, November 8, 2012, more than 10 petty shops that have been doing brisk business in the Ishwara Nagar since nearly 20 years were demolished by the Udupi Municipal Council  using JCBs in spite of strong protest from the shop owners.

 

 

Though the local Municipal Council member Mahesh Thakur said that the petty shop owners would be provided alternate sites to run their business, he failed to give them any concrete assurance about this arrangement. The petty shop owners expressed  their anxiety of being allotted sites in inner roads where the movement of the people would be rare and thus they may not be able to do any business which will affect their livelihood.

 

The shop owners protested saying that they had been doing business with the approval of the Municipal council and had been paying regular taxes. However, it had no effect on the authorities who went ahead with the demolition of the shops.

 

The petty shops used to sell milk, vegetables and hotels providing cheap ganji meals which were frequented by labourers, auto bus and truck drivers.