Karwar: Members of ‘Murdeshwar Tallugadi Angadikarara Kshemabhivruddi Sangha’ (Murdeshwar push-cart vendors’ welfare association) submitted a memorandum at district administration’s office, in Karwar, on Thursday, calling for steps to put an end to push cart mafia menace.

They said the mafia activities in the Murdeshwar beach had been increasing lately, and was preventing traders from doing business since decades.

“The people from Murdeshwar and nearby places have been selling at beach for the past several years. The small shops and push-carts selling items, cold drinks, cloths, toys, and cosmetics are real boon to the tourists. We have been operating here without causing any trouble to anyone,” Sangha President Venkataramana said.

He said, they had been cleaning the garbage collected around the shops, and had been paying Rs 10 daily for its disposal.

The beach has been always kept clean. Moreover, we have formed an association for carrying out several pro-social activities.

However, some rich persons who were not members of the Association haverecentky started troubling thier business. 'They are not taking any steps to remove the garbage, creating nuisance for the tourists. Because of them, all the shopkeepers here are earning a bad name', he complained.

They are acting like a mafia, and creating problems for other vendors.