Kalpetta: The UDF-ruled Kalpetta Municipality landed in trouble after demolishing a wayside eatery run by survivors of the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslide on Wednesday. Facing protests from various quarters, the authorities were forced to backtrack by evening and promised to reconstruct the shop.

For the last five months, the eatery had been operating near SKMJ Higher Secondary School in a makeshift shed from 6 pm onwards. According to the shop owners, they started the business after seeking permission from the municipal authorities. Various organisations and individuals sponsored the essentials needed to begin operations, while the family also rented chairs, tables, pots, and other utensils.

Municipal authorities evicted the shop in the early hours of the day, citing complaints that waste from the eatery was being dumped in a public place nearby.

However, Asiya, who runs the shop along with her son Shahid, told the media that municipal officials arrived to close their shop without issuing any prior notice. After dismantling the makeshift shed, all essential items were taken to the municipal office premises.

"If they had alerted us a day in advance, we could have made temporary arrangements," she said. "We used to repay the loan in daily instalments," she added.

The family typically opened the shop in the evening and operated late into the night, without causing any disturbance to the school.

"It was a customer who witnessed the eviction in the morning and informed us by 6 am that our shop had been demolished and even the pull cart had been moved to the municipal office," said Shahid.

"Earlier, when such complaints were raised, we were informed by the staff, and we made sure not to cause any inconvenience to the public. This time, it was a bolt from the blue. We were busy preparing for the day’s business—cooking various dishes and purchasing meat and other items,” he added.

Asiya and Shahid maintained that they had always prepared food in compliance with food safety norms.

However, widespread media coverage of the emotionally charged scene and massive protests by various youth organisations compelled the municipal authorities to reinstate the eatery near the original spot. Several UDF leaders intervened to resolve the issue on a war footing.

UDF leader and former municipal chairman Mujeeb told the media that, since the action was hastily executed without notice, the party believes the family should be compensated for their losses and the shop should be rebuilt at or near the exact location. The agitation was called off following talks with the municipal secretary and leaders of various political parties.