Traders of Gandhi Market, who had threatened to go on a strike demanding the reopening of the market, have withdrawn the stir plan after they were apparently assured that they can continue to operate from the temporary wholesale market along the Tiruchi-Chennai By-pass Road in the city.
The traders on Thursday had called for reopening of the Gandhi Market amidst talk of a possible shifting of the temporary market to the city outskirts due to concerns over poor personal distancing norms followed there.
The Gandhi Market was closed in March in view of the COVID threat and people started thronging the market to indulge in panic buying as prohibitory orders were announced. Ever since temporary retail markets were functioning in different parts of the city and wholesale market was temporarily functioning along the service lane between Ariyamangalam and Senthaneerpuram on the Chennai By-pass Road in the city.
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On Thursday night, traders associations of Gandhi Market threatened to go on a strike in protest against a reported move to shift the temporary wholesale market to the Samayapuram
The district administration had earlier in the day issued a press release stating that the nine temporary retail markets, functioning in different parts of the city, would not function on Saturday and Sunday and the wholesale market on the Chennai By-pass Road would not function on Friday and Saturday (April 24 and 25) nights. A similar move was enforced the previous week too.
Though there was no official word on shifting the wholesale market to Samayapuram, the traders representatives belonging to 27 different associations, held an urgent meeting at the Gandhi Market late on Thursday evening and announced a strike. At a hurriedly convened press conference in the night, Ve.Govindarajalu, state general secretary, Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangankalin Peramaippu, demanded that the Gandhi Market be reopened as traders were facing much hardship. Pointing out that wholesale traders had agreed to move to the By-pass Road after the district administration decided to close down the COVID 19 threat, Mr.Govindarajalu said many outsiders were engaged in trade at the temporary market.
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On Friday, State Ministers Vellamandi N.Natarajan and S.Valarmathi, along with Collector S.Sivarasu, held a meeting with representatives of the Gandhi Market traders associations.
Mr.Sivarasu reportedly told the traders that there was no basis for their strike threat as he had not issued any order shifting the wholesale market to Samayapuram. However, the traders representatives had insisted that the Gandhi Market be opened.
After another round of consultations with Mr.Vellamandi N.Natarajan in the evening, the traders representatives said they have withdrawn the strike call as an agreement had been reached.