A section of the wholesale flower merchants from Koyambedu is all set to move to a dedicated space at Vanagaram on Monday.
The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority has identified a five-acre site belonging to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department at Vanagaram.
Wholesale and retail traders are being provided application forms by the Koyambedu Market Management Committee (MMC) for allotment of space at temporary markets to be set up at different places in the city.
For more than three months now, flower traders have been operating from 24 places, including Maduravoyal, Madhavaram and Vadapalani, as there was no dedicated space for them.
The Chennai Koyambedu Flowers Wholesale Merchants Association recently distributed notices to members stating that flower loads from other places would be delivered at the Vanagaram temporary market from Sunday night and asked them to begin sale from Monday morning. A monthly rent of ₹7.5 lakh has been fixed for the space.
‘Space insufficient’
However, a section of wholesale flower traders said there were about 750 members in the association and not all may get space.
A. Manoharan, a wholesale flower merchant, said: “We’ll take a decision about shifting to the new space on Monday if all members are allotted space. About 400 traders have formed groups and are functioning from various areas in the city.”
Meanwhile, efforts were on to identify a spot for the retailers who had been seeking space since the Koyambedu market complex was closed down in May. Besides vacant space in Trustpuram, space near Velachery MRTS is being considered. Retailers would be allotted space in different areas through draw of lots by MMC authorities.
D. Rajasekaran, president of the Federation of All Traders Associations of the Koyambedu Market Complex, said about 1,500 retail merchants were affected after the market was closed. As there were plans to allot space in batches of 250-300 shops, retailers had been asked to apply for the same.
