The Tiruchirapalli City Corporation has decided to allow eight Burmese refugees, whose shops near the War Memorial in front of the Gandhi Market in the city are to be demolished soon, to relocate to an adjacent site.
The War Memorial, raised in memory of 41 soldiers who died in World War I, is to be given a facelift soon. The memorial, with a clock tower, has been languishing without proper maintenance for several years now. The civic body has drawn up a plan to improve the amenities at the War Memorial.
The corporation has decided to demolish nine of its 25 shops around the memorial which pose a hindrance for people to pay their homage at the place. While eight of the shopkeepers, all Burmese refugees, had agreed to move out, another trader had filed a case before the High Court. The corporation has now decided to allow the eight Burmese refugees to relocate to an adjacent site at their own expense so as to ensure that their livelihood was not affected. A resolution to this effect was adopted at an urgent meeting of the council on Wednesday.
The Assistant Director of Ex-servicemen Welfare has sought the removal of encroachments and better amenities including fences and lights at the memorial.
