In an effort to decongest the narrow lanes in Kattoor, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Tuesday held a meeting with the traders and owners of small and medium entrepreneurs. Member of Parliament, Coimbatore, P.R. Natarajan along with party members C. Padmanabhan and U.K. Sivagnanam and others met with the representatives to explore the various measures that could decongest the 12 lanes in Kattoor and help free flow of traffic in the area.
Mr. Natarajan told The Hindu that he had taken up the issue because the traders as well as public faced difficulty in parking and passing through the area. Even after allowing for parking on both sides of the road, there was not enough space for parking vehicles and driving through the streets.
To ease the congestion, the party told those present there that lands in the Kaleeswara Mill and Somasundara Mill compounds could be used – one for parking and another for warehouse, he said and added that if the proposal was to materialise it would also mean better utilisation of the lands that had remained idle for long. The party also told the traders that they should take up the suggestion with other associations and act as quickly as possible before major government or private players take over the land. And if the traders were interested, the CPM would fully back them and take up the demand at the highest level in the State Government.
B. Ananthapadmanaban, president, Coimbatore District Electrical Traders’ Association, said that the 1,000-plus shops that were in the small lanes in Kattoor struggled for existence and found it difficult to expand operations. The suggestion put forward would help the business grow and also enable the use of the six acres locked in Somasundara Mills and 11 acres in Kaleeswara Mills. It was a “fantastic suggestion” and traders would soon decide on the suggestion.
There was every reason for the traders to grab the opportunity because there was no other land available in the vicinity, said J. Sasirekha, the area councillor. She said that such a move was badly needed for the area and that she was ready to take it up in the ensuing Council meeting.
