The Uzhavar Sandhais at Anna Nagar and Musiri in Tiruchi district would be renovated during the current financial year by the Department of Agricultural Marketing and Agri Business.
The Uzhavar Sandhai at Anna Nagar in the city is one of the two popular farmers’ markets in the city and has 95 shops. It was among the first Uzhavar Sandhais to be established after the concept was introduced by the then Chief Minister late M.Karunanidhi in the State in 1999. Renovation of the facility would meet a felt need as its infrastructure required repairs.
“The State government has sanctioned ₹65.31 lakh for renovating the Uzhavar Sandhai at Anna Nagar in the city and ₹27.80 lakh for refurbishing the one at Musiri in the district,” G. Saravanan, Deputy Director, Agricultural Marketing and Agri Business, Tiruchi, told The Hindu.
Apart from renovating the shops, the compound wall of the Anna Nagar Uzhavar Sandhai would be strengthened. Paver block pavements would be laid, officials said.
The other Uzhavar Sandhai at K.K.Nagar in the city was renovated recently at a cost of ₹33 lakh. In a recent initiative, the market has been functioning in the evenings too on trial basis and the move has met with a good response from the public. The market has 75 stalls and farmer producer organisations (FPOs) and self help groups have been allowed sell value-added products on the premises.
The Uzhavar Sandhai at Musiri with 28 shops would also be renovated during the year. Tenders for the project were expected to be called soon for the renovation of the two markets this year.
Meanwhile, renovation of the farmers market with 52 shops at Manapparai in the district at an estimate of about ₹24 lakh is nearing completion. “The refurbished Uzhavar Sandhai will be thrown open within a month,” Mr. Saravanan said.
Construction of a new Uzhavar Sandhai at Manachanallur on the outskirts of the city is currently under way. It will be the eighth farmers market in the district and is being established at an estimated cost of ₹60 lakh in the Regulated Market complex in the town.
