MGP flags concerns over footpath encroachments, delay in Kukkarhalli lake rejuvenation
The civic group has called for a coordinated and transparent approach from the district administration, pointing to legal, administrative, and safety challenges.
The recent fatal accident of a senior citizen who was run over by a KSRTC bus near Vivekananda Circle, has reignited the debate on pedestrian safety, with MGP questioning the ability of authorities to ensure unobstructed footpaths in the face of rising street vending.
The MGP pointed out that the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, which allows licensed vendors to operate, and a more recent Supreme Court directive from May 2025, which directs governments to remove encroachments to uphold the right to safety under Article 21, seemed to be contradictory in nature.
In a letter addressed to Deputy Commissioner G. Lakshmikanth Reddy, MGP stated the legal contradiction between the central law and the Supreme Court order could hamper enforcement to clear footpath encroachment.
Bhamy V. Shenoy founding working president of the MGP, and S. Shobana, working president of the NGO, raised apprehensions whether the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) has the capacity to provide alternate vending locations to all 7,000 licensed vendors in the city.
Mr. Shenoy and Ms. Shobana also wondered whether there is a system in place to verify the authenticity of vendor permits and how MCC plans to prevent corruption in issuing or overlooking licenses. It urged authorities to act against the many unlicensed vendors from footpath encroachment.
In a bid to address the issue in an accountable manner, MGP has proposed the formation of a Pedestrian Safety Committee with representation from elected leaders, vendor associations, NGOs, police, urban planners, and MCC officials.
The MGP said while pedestrian safety and removal of footpath encroachment was necessary, one could not overlook the economic imperatives of the vendors and hence mooted the idea of offering incentives to those who relocate to new areas. This was necessary given the difficulty of replicating foot traffic and business opportunities that some streets currently provide, said the MGP.
The attention of Mr. Reddy was also drawn to Kukkarhalli lake rejuvenation project and the MGP underlined the imperatives of restoring the lake and the canal system by removing the encroachments obstructing the natural flow of water.
Urging the Deputy Commissioner to expedite the tendering process, the MGP said there was sufficient local expertise with extensive knowledge of the lake and the feeder canal and it should be tapped while drawing the new DPR for the project.
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