Corporation Commissioner, S. Sebastine, has warned the contractor of Corporation fish market at Karimedu against collecting exorbitant floor space rent from the traders.
The traders have gone on a strike and locked their shops since Monday till April 9 protesting “the diktats” of the contractor, “rowdyism on the market premises” and to set right the stagnating drainage problem.
The Ram Nagar Market All Traders' and Workers' Association president, D. Charles, said the fish traders would incur huge expenditure if they have to pay the rent as demanded by the contractor. Besides, rowdy elements were also fleecing money from them.
Mr. Charles said that around 2,000 boxes of fishes brought from various coastal towns of the State and from Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. These fishes were then diverted to various towns in and around Madurai.
The contractor was forcing the traders to pay Rs. 10 a box and also another Rs. 10 a box from those who buy it. Besides, excessive parking fee was being collected for the vehicles coming into the market.
The vice-president, G. Saravanan, said that the contract of the market had been given for a meagre amount and the income due for the Corporation was being taken by the contractor. He wanted the Corporation to cancel the parking lot licence given to the contractor.
“It should be either given to our association or the Corporation should maintain it,” he said.
After meeting the traders' representative, the Commissioner asked them to resume their daily chores on Wednesday.
He promised that only the due rent would be collected from the traders and the details of rent would be put up on a notice board.
The contractor was warned with cancellation of contract, if he did not abide by the Corporation rules, the Assistant Commissioner (Revenue), R. Baskaran, said.
