Kochi: Over 35 illegal bunk shops and nearly 100 unauthorised billboards were removed from various parts of the city in a drive by the town planning and revenue departments of the city corporation  on Monday.

As many as 20 shops were cleared in the central city area, including Shanmugham Road, Canon Shed Road, Market Road, Hospital Road,  Park Avenue, near Durbar Hall Ground and Ramavarma Club. 
In the Vyttila zone, 15 wayside bunk shops were cleared from Subhash Chandra Bose Road, Kaloor- Kadavanthra Road and Salim Rajan Road.

“The corporation does not have a clear picture about the number of unauthorised bunk shops and billboards in the city. We haven’t given any prior notice to the shop owners as all the shops removed are illegal.

However, notice has been served to licensed shop owners to remove the illegal structures they have  placed outside them,” said K.J Sohan, chairman of the town planning committee.
The drive followed  a decision of the corporation council meeting on Saturday to remove illegal wayside shops and billboards in the city.