KOCHI: Even as the Kochi Corporation is planning to act against unauthorised vendors near the walkway in Fort Kochi, some of the traders here have appealed to the local body to provide an alternative place. Local Councillor Antony Kureethara said that before undertaking any project, the interests of local traders would be considered. The corporation and the district administration should hold talks with the traders before taking any decision to evict them from the present place.Agreeing that there was no other way but to remove them from the present place for the sake of promoting tourism, Kureethara said that those who have been allotted 32 permanent shops should return to their shops from unauthorised shops.Shopkeepers with no place to go should be provided with an alternative, as they have been playing an important role in the growth of tourism, he said.A traders’ representative said that most of the permanent shops were owned by handicraft vendors.There are about 25 such temporary shops along the walkway leading to the beach. These shops were being run by five to six persons and evicting them from the present place would render them jobless, he said.Local legislator Dominic Presentation and others had recently visited the area to inspect tourism facilities in the area. With the monsoon tourism season set to begin soon, tourism promoters are planning to lure more tourists to the zone. The season is on a lean patch now and it is likely to better with the Onam season.
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