Visakhapatnam: In a significant development, the Chairman of the Street Vendors Committee, Katumuri Satish, has taken decisive action to address the ongoing issue surrounding the Night Food Street located opposite the Government Women’s College. Satish recently penned a letter to the city’s Police Commissioner, urging the deployment of police personnel to ensure a peaceful closure of the shops and prevent any potential riots.
The Night Food Street was inaugurated on February 1, 2020, by the former Municipal Minister, Botsa Satyanarayana, with an initial count of 32 shops. However, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of shops ballooned to 160, as certain officials and leaders allegedly accepted significant sums of money to allow businesses to operate there.
To address the issue, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has established a committee responsible for regularizing the shops in question. Following the committee’s instructions, the area is set to be cordoned off on either Wednesday or Thursday. The GVMC’s town planning department will mark 109 of the current 160 shops as legitimate business premises. Rent collection has also been determined, ranging from Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 15,000 per month based on the shop’s size. However, out of the total of 160 individuals, 109 remain undecided.
Recent investigations have revealed that over 40 individuals conducting business in the area possessed counterfeit street vendor cards. Consequently, the decision has been made to remove them, with allegations of involvement by the Urban Social Development (UCD) staff in the production of these fraudulent cards. There is a call for a thorough investigation into the matter, with demands for strict action against those found responsible.
While steps are being taken to eliminate the broker system and conduct business under the GVMC’s oversight, concerns have been raised about the need for transparent selection processes to avoid a potential resurgence of illicit activities in the area.
The Chairman of the Street Vendors Committee, Katumuri Satish, is determined to address the controversy surrounding the Night Food Street decisively. By involving the city police commissioner and taking steps to regulate and rectify the situation, he aims to restore order and fairness to this popular location in Visakhapatnam.