Street vendors’ organisations on Thursday (July 9, 2026) intensified their protest against the Kannur Corporation’s alleged eviction drives, with unions affiliated to the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) and the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) demanding protection of livelihoods, implementation of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, and issuance of licences to eligible vendors.
The Kerala Pradesh Vazhiyora Vyapara Vyavasayi Thozhilali Congress, affiliated with the INTUC, on Thursday staged a march and protest outside the Corporation office. The protesters accused the Corporation of forcibly evicting street vendors without adhering to the provisions of the Act.
Inaugurating the protest, INTUC district president Jose George Plathottam alleged that the civic body was pursuing anti-worker policies in disregard of the central legislation enacted during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government led by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He also accused the Corporation of acting in the interests of large commercial establishments at the expense of small traders.
The protesters demanded that the Corporation stop evicting street vendors, safeguard their livelihoods, conduct a fresh survey of all existing vendors, and issue street vendor identity cards to all eligible traders in accordance with the law.
Meanwhile, the general body meeting of the Kannur Footpath Merchants Workers’ Association, affiliated with the AITUC, urged the Corporation to issue licences to street vendors who have been carrying out small-scale trade in the city for over two decades. The association also requested the civic body to permit vending at locations that do not obstruct pedestrians or vehicular traffic by levying a nominal ground rent instead of resorting to eviction.
Published – July 10, 2026 12:45 am IST
