Thoothukudi: Shops in Kovilpatti Municipal Daily Market, which remained shut on Tuesday and Wednesday in protest against “the abnormal hike” in rent effected by the municipal administration, reopened on Thursday.
All the 399 shops in the market were opened after Kadambur C. Raju, Minister for Information and Publicity, along with Collector M. Ravikumar, held talks with the traders on Wednesday evening. After the talks, the Minister said in a statement that taking into consideration the traders’ demands and usefulness of the market for the people of Kovilpatti and its suburbs, it was decided to reduce the rent.
N. Muthuraj, president of the merchants’ association, said the members of the association were convinced after they were informed that Public Works Department officials would fix the rent for the shops in the market based on area. He said the daily market in Kovilpatti came into existence in 1983 with the aid of World Bank funds. The rent for the shops was increased last in 2013, he added.
