Vegetable market in Avadi still to open
CHENNAI: Caught in legal hassles, vendor-municipality disagreements and local politicians flexing their muscles, the ‘new’ vegetable market complex in Avadi has not been opened ever since it was constructed five years ago.
The complex, built at a cost of Rs 62 lakh, was intended to ease congestion on the Avadi-Poonamallee Road. Now with it showing no signs of opening, vendors continue to line the stretch, contributing to traffic congestion during peak hours. The complex can house 68 shops.
“Tender notices for granting leasehold for the shops in the complex were published two times before, but they were cancelled,” said Balan K, who has set up a shop right outside the closed market complex gates.
While municipality officials have issued a third notice that states that a public auction for the shops in the complex would be held on May 23, vendors in the area said they were not hopeful this time either.
market complex
“After this, we don’t think that it’ll happen. I didn’t bother to apply the last two times since they sought a security deposit of Rs 3 lakh to participate in the tender and hawkers like us cannot muster that much money,” said Angamma P, who has been selling vegetables in the streets of Avadi for over 30 years. “The local politicians also add to the problem every time,” she added.
While hawkers are demanding an auction limited only to them, municipality officials said the tender norms provided only for a public auction.
“Anybody who wants to set up shop in the complex may come forward. That’s the law. It’s not possible to hold an auction only for the hawkers here,” said a senior municipality official.
In response to a writ petition on the same lines that was filed on behalf of Avadi Market Vegetable and Fruit Vendors Association, the Madras High Court, in 2016, directed the municipality to hold the tender according to norms. However, the High Court ordered the municipality to fix a reasonable amount as security deposit to enable poor vendors to participate in the tender.
Accordingly, the security deposit has now been reduced to Rs 1 lakh from Rs 3 lakh, according to the tender notice that was issued on May 7. “I’ve asked for a loan in some places to pay for the deposit. It’s not safe to have shops on the carriageway as government officials may ask you to leave anytime,” said Sasikala S, a vegetable vendor.
Two years ago, municipality officials allegedly asked hawkers to vacate with the promise of being allotted a shop in the ‘new complex’. Said another senior municipality official, “We fix a minimum slab for rent but the actual rent would be fixed only during the tendering process.”
The shops that are each five feet by five feet, were built out of Rs 37 lakh from the general funds of the municipality and Rs 25 lakh from the MLA’s local area development fund.
Lying unused for five years, the building already bears signs of deterioration. The premises is full of grass and the gate is getting rusted.