Kerala - Kochi   

Mixed response to hartal

Staff Reporter

Traders to meet on Saturday to discuss eviction on MG Road

PROTEST: A section of traders downed shutters on Thursday in protest against the drive against illegal encroachments on MG Road. — Photo: Vipin Chandran

KOCHI: The hartal call given by the joint action council of traders evoked a mixed response with several shops remaining open in the city and suburbs on Thursday.

Shops on M.G Road remained closed from dawn to dusk in protest against what the traders termed the `high-handedness' of the district administration in the anti-encroachment drive carried out in the heartland of Kochi in the last two days.

Business at the usually busy Broadway was also affected. Hectic activity was witnessed in places like Kaloor, Palarivattom, Edappally and Vyttila.

Denying reports of a partial response to their hartal call, the merchant community pointed out that the protest was total in the city. Ernakulam Merchants' Union secretary Venkitesh Pai said hundreds of shops remained closed.

He said only those shops located between the North and South Railway stations were included under the purview of the hartal. But the joint action council had not specifically mentioned that the protest would be limited to a specific area in the city.

Elaborating on their plans, Mr. Pai said traders would meet on Saturday to chalk out future course of action against the eviction drive on MG Road. The merchant community is likely to initiate legal action against the demolition of buildings, he said.

Asked whether they were against removal of illegal structures, Mr. Pai said they would support the initiative but would oppose the short-term notice issued by the district administration for clearing the encroachment. He said the officials had removed pavements that were set up exclusively as part of the beautification programme initiated by the former District Collector. Mr. Pai said traders were not given enough time to prove their credentials. When asked to name the traders having proper title deeds, he said the action council made this statement based on vague reports and would evolve a clear picture after the meeting scheduled on Saturday.

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