CHENNAI: Ask the residents of Avadi about the perennial traffic congestion on the Avadi-Poonamallee Road and almost all of them would point to the vegetable market near the municipality office, which has been vacant since it was inaugurated three years ago.
As legal issues keep the market from being opened to the public, vendors sell vegetables by the roadside, causing traffic snarls during peak hours. “It is extremely difficult for two buses approaching in the opposite direction to pass by smoothly on the narrow stretch. It also results in piling of vehicles for about 500 metres in the morning and evening. While vegetable hawkers and vendors have encroached on the road, the buyers park their two-wheelers haphazardly; it’s chaotic,” explained Chinna Pillai, a resident of TNHB tenements at Avadi.
In a bid to ease traffic on this road, a vegetable market was constructed on a piece of land adjacent to the Avadi Municipality Office. A total of 68 shops were built for shifting the pavement shops to the new premises that was formally inaugurated in October 2013. However, a series of legal cases followed including three suits filed on related issues.
“The cases pertain to reducing the deposit sum for tenders. However, all the cases were quashed last year, opening the scope for new tenders,” sources said.
Meanwhile, sources said, when steps were taken to initiate the re-tendering process, another case was filed in the court.
“Still, we were able to allot 20 shops through tenders, after the municipal council okayed it in February 2016. As we began the allotment process for the remaining 48 shops, the model code of conduct came into effect,” said the Avadi Municipal Commissioner Mathivannan. “We are hopeful that the vegetable market will open after the elections.”