Members of Madurai Street Vendors' Union petitioned the Collector here on Monday, urging him to permit vegetable vendors to set up market on Sundays at Bama Nagar near P and T Nagar.
Union president M. Nanda Singh said the vendors had been setting up weekly market at Uchaparambumedu from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays for the past 15 years until the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. “After the relaxation of lockdown norms, the vendors had set up the weekly market at Uchaparambumedu for two weeks,” he said.
However, based on complaints from a few residents, Madurai Corporation disallowed the setting up of weekly market at Uchaparambumedu. Later, the Corporation officials inspected an alternative site and decided that the market can be set up at Bama Nagar near P and T Nagar.
But, till date, the Corporation has not given permission to set up the weekly market at Bama Nagar. “It has been more than eight weeks since the Corporation decided to shift the weekly market to Bama Nagar. However, they are delaying the permission to set up the market,” he said.
When vegetable vendors tried to set up the market on Sunday, the police personnel asked the vendors to remove the shops, he added.
Women vendors were the most affected, said Mr. Singh. “Most of the women are widowed and sell their vegetables at the weekly market as they consider it to be a safe space for earning money. So the district administration must intervene and immediately permit setting up of the weekly market at Bama Nagar,” he added.
