TIRUNELVELI
Social activist ‘Traffic’ Ramasamy, who expressed solidarity with the Subhash Chandra Bose Market traders refusing to vacate their shops to enable the construction of a multi-storey market complex at this century-old cramped market on an outlay of ₹ 10.97 crore under the Centre’s ‘Smart City’ programme, has said he will approach the court in support of the affected shopkeepers.
Visiting the market on Monday, Mr. Ramasamy said the urban civic bodies could not execute mega projects of this volume in the absence of an elected council though the Tamil Nadu Assembly had given its nod for the construction of a new market after demolishing the existing structure.
The State government, only after conducting the local body polls, should execute projects worth multi-crores of rupees in the urban local bodies.
“You (traders) should remain united and don’t vacate the spot. Continue your democratic protest and I will support and strengthen your demand by approaching the court within two days,” Mr. Ramasamy said.
Since the Corporation has already finalised the lowest bidder for executing this project after floating the tender, the traders were asked through individual letters to vacate their shops before August 31.
However, the traders said they could not do so within the deadline. They also demanded the Corporation to provide them alternative place for setting up their shops until the project is completed and give priority to the present tenants in the newly built market.
When the Corporation officials refused to accept their demand, they submitted a petition to Collector Shilpa Prabhakar Satish.
Meanwhile, the Corporation said the shops would be removed without prior intimation if they failed to vacate the shops by September 15. Condemning it, the traders, led by former Tirunelveli MLA N. Maalairaja, observed a fast on the market premises after closing down their shops on Thursday last.
Corporation Commissioner P. Vijayalakshmi said the total quantum of rental arrears to be paid by the traders was over a crores of rupees.
“An individual trader alone has to pay the rental arrears of ₹ 9 lakh to the Corporation. A total of 12 Corporations across Tamil Nadu, which are executing projects under the ‘Smart City’ funded by the Union Government, are now working on modernising the markets with better facilities. If the fund is not utilised within the stipulated period, we’ll have to return the fund to the funding agency. When we explained it to the traders of Tirunelveli Junction bus stand, they are vacating their shops. So, these traders should also cooperate with the Corporation for executing the project,” Ms. Vijayalakshmi said.
