Traders owing allegiance to the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samiti (KVVES) in Kozhikode have announced a protest against the growing presence of unauthorised street vendors in areas outside those designated for vending by local self-government institutions.
The district committee of the merchant association will take out a march to the Kozhikode Corporation office at 10 a.m. on October 6, 2026, followed by a dharna, demanding action against unauthorised street vending.
The protest is being organised as part of a call issued by the State committee. The organisation has warned that the agitation will be extended to other municipal corporations and gram panchayats if its demands are not addressed.
KVVES functionaries allege that the spread of such vending activities on streets and in front of commercial establishments have been posing a serious challenge to small traders who run their businesses legally and meet various statutory obligations.
According to them, the traders are required to bear expenses such as shop rent, licence fees, GST and professional tax, while unauthorised vendors are operating in the same areas without any similar obligations. The growing presence of vendors in front of shops has already affected business and, in some cases, left traders facing the prospect of shutting down their establishments, they argue.
The traders’ body demands that street vending be restricted to areas identified by local self-government institutions in accordance with the Street Vendors Act. It also calls for the immediate removal of unauthorised vendors operating outside the designated areas.
The traders under KVVES have also announced their opposition to the proposal to impose a Merchant Discount Rate on UPI transactions above â‚ą2,000. As part of the protest, the merchants will boycott UPI payments on October 15, 2026, and organise a march and dharna to the Lok Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram on the same day.
Published – October 04, 2026 08:24 pm IST
