Demanding space in the bus stand, around 150 vendors resorted to a sit-in stir on the Corporation premises on Monday.
Since the bus stand was established in 1982, the vendors said, they had been functioning there. However, citing the pandemic, the government announced a lockdown and, subsequently, civic authorities too closed down the shops from March-end.
Since then, they had been living with the ration rice distributed by the government. The loans taken from usurers had risen to its peak. Hence, the civic authorities must permit them to operate inside the bus stand.
Echoing their plea, cadre from CPI(M), CPI, CITU and AIDWA said when the government had relaxed restrictions and issued a series of guidelines to the public to prevent spread of viral infection, it would be a great relief to the vendors if they were allowed inside the bus stand.
The vendors had petitioned the Collector,…