Bengaluru: Street vendors evicted from Bengaluru’s busy Sampige Road in Malleswaram have reportedly been asked by unaffiliated unions to contribute Rs 5,000 each to fund legal action against the ongoing footpath clearance drive.
The move comes days after civic authorities removed around 600 street vendors from the bustling commercial stretch as part of an anti-encroachment operation aimed at restoring pedestrian access.
Vendors plan legal challenge
According to sources, the displaced vendors met on Monday to discuss filing a petition seeking a stay on the eviction and permission to resume business at their previous locations.
It is learnt that around 260 vendors have already contributed the proposed amount towards legal expenses. However, some vendors have reportedly objected to the collection, questioning the need to pay for the legal battle.
Authorities had relocated vendors
Following the eviction, authorities directed the vendors to shift their businesses to nearby roads instead of occupying the footpaths along Sampige Road.
The clearance drive is part of the city’s wider efforts to reclaim pedestrian spaces and address long-standing complaints about encroachments on footpaths across Bengaluru.
Concerns over vendors returning
Even as legal preparations continue, some vendors have reportedly started returning to the footpaths from where they were evicted, raising concerns among officials that encroachments could gradually reappear.
The development comes amid ongoing discussions over balancing the livelihood of street vendors with the need to ensure safe and accessible public spaces for pedestrians.
Authorities are yet to comment on the proposed legal challenge, while the situation on Sampige Road continues to be closely monitored.