Traders at Gandhi Market reluctant to relocate

 

Is has been months since the integrated vegetable market in Kallikudi village, situated on the city outskirts, was ready, but stiff opposition from traders at the Gandhi Market has put relocation efforts in a limbo. The district administration had even brought in modifications based on demands from traders.
However, a few traders association in Gandhi market recently checked out a plot along Dindigul Bypass Road to establish a market on their own.
The relocation of Gandhi market, located in heart of the city, is inevitable to reduce congestion. The district administration in 2014 through the agriculture marketing department and financial support from Nabard took up the construction works for the integrated vegetable market in Kallikudi near Manikandam, about 16km away from the existing market.
Though the works for the integrated vegetable market was completed in 2017, the two floor complex comprising 1,000 shops was cited insufficient by the traders. Following their demand, the district administration took up modification works by clubbing two shops each on the ground floor into one and increasing the available floor space from 150 sq.ft to 300 sq.ft.




“We have completed the modification works, 500 shops on the ground floor have been converted to 250 shops. After consultation with the district administration, we will start relocating interested traders from Gandhi Market to the new facility,” an official source with the agriculture marketing department said. Stakeholders were said to have received 150 applications for occupying the new facility of which about 75 per cent traders were said to be from Gandhi Market.


With the district administration taking earnest efforts to decongest Gandhi Market, as many as seven traders association have recently checked out a 40 acres land on Dindigul bypass to establish a market on their own. “We are interested to move away from Gandhi Market but the integrated market facility lacks facilities. Hence, traders under a single banner have planned to establish our own market,” said N Saravanan, secretary, Trichy Potato traders association.

Gandhi Market sources said that at least 350 traders need shops for complete relocation. However, the integrated market facility after modification works has only space for 250 shops on the ground floor. “We have enough space on the first floor. If one of the associations comes forward to occupy the new facility, the other traders will have no other option but to follow suit,” sources in agriculture marketing department said.

With reluctance among Gandhi Market traders to shift their base not fading away, the district administration said that they conduct a stakeholders meeting in a week to resolve the issue.

Source