Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SB/SP)

Mangaluru, Apr 6: City mayor Kavita Sanil, who conducted surprise raid on the fish market building located next to the central market here on Wednesday April 6, instructed the city corporation commissioner to register first information report against owners of shops who had converted toilets of the building into godowns.

This building, which has ground floor and two upper floors, has a total of 91 stalls. Toilets have been provided for all the three floors, but only one toilet at the ground floor is currently available for use, as the other two toilets are being used for other purposes without getting concurrence from the city corporation. Women working in some shops in the building, who faced problem of relieving themselves, had complained about this problem to the mayor.

Kavita saw to her chagrin that the toilet in the first floor was being used as godown by the electrical shop located adjacent to it. The toilet in the second floor was being used by a shop dealing in eggs to stock waste materials..

Angered by what she saw, the mayor instructed the city commissioner, Mohammed Nazeer, to immediately register first information reports against these shopkeepers. She also asked the officials to see that women working here and visitors got proper toilet facility.

During her raid in the first floor, the shop owner expressed anger against the city mayor and other officials and engaged in verbal duel, claiming that he has permission to operate this godown and that he possesses a letter of permission too. When he was asked to produce the letter, he produced a letter of request written in 2009 seeking permission from the city corporation for godown. But he failed to produce any proper permission received from the city corporation.

When shopkeepers and vehicle drivers approached the mayor and complained that because of unauthorized vegetable and fruits shops that have occupied roadside spaces, vehicle parking, traffic, and business of the shop owners inside the building have been affected. The mayor promised to clear the encroachments within a week.