Traders of fish markets in Puthur and Subramaniapuram are up in arms against the sudden steep increase in rent for the shops and common space.
It is said that the Tiruchirapalli City Corporation, which owns the fish markets, has recently given license to a private person for collecting rentals, based on the outcome of an auction process. The rights of collecting rentals of Puthur fish market was auctioned for Rs. 34.50 lakh, which was Rs. 4.5 lakh more than the minimum price fixed by the corporation.
As per the arrangements, the licensee will collect rentals, other than shops paying monthly rent directly to the corporation, for this financial year.
Upon receiving the permission, the licensee was said to have increased the rentals by four or five times. It is alleged that he had hiked the rent for pavement vegetable vendors too, who were functioning outside the fish market. Moreover, he is said to have been demanding huge rent for common space used by the fish traders.
S. Sahayaraj, secretary, Whole Sale Fish Traders Association, said that as against the current rent of Rs. 50 paise per square feet of open space, the new licensee had been demanding Rs. 2 per square feet. It meant that the traders were forced to pay Rs. 1,000 per day for using 500 square feet of common space as against Rs. 250 to Rs. 350 a day.
T.K.A. Raffique, another trader, said the increase in rent defied logic. Such abnormal rentals would kill the business. Moreover, a section of traders were threatened and asked to pay the abnormal rentals.
Hence, the corporation should intervene in the matter to ensure fair play.
A senior official of the corporation told The Hindu that he had received complaints from a traders’ forum over abnormal rental. An Assistant Revenue Officer had been asked to send a report on the allegation. Action would be taken based on the report. The interest of traders would be safeguarded.
