CHENNAI: After nearly four months, traders of the Koyambedu wholesale fruit, vegetable, flower and foodgrain market have something to cheer about as talks were held with Chief Minister Edapaddi K Palaniswami on Monday to reopen it.
Speaking after meeting the Chief Minister, Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangangalin Peramaippu State president AM Vikramaraja told The New Indian Express that the Koyambedu wholesale market and the foodgrain market are likely to open by next month. "The meeting with the Chief Minister, where the Chief Secretary, Police, Chennai Corporation and Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority officials took part, was fruitful," he said.
It is learnt that the Deputy Chief Minister O Paneerselvam could not attend the meeting since he is out of station and is likely to return on Wednesday. Once he is back, the decision to appoint a committee to look into the opening up of the market would take place.
Around 25 traders from the vegetable, fruits, flower and the food grains market will be part of the committee. It will also consist of police officials, Chennai Corporation and CMDA officials. The committee will come out with standard operating procedures on reopening the market and also what norms should be followed by traders. Vikramaraja said that the traders will abide by all the regulations put into force by the officials.
To a query on whether the entire market will be opened up immediately, Vikramaraja said it would be done step by step. He said that traders along with officials will review the market and take stock on what work is still pending. "The pending work has to be finished early so that the market could open," said Vikaramaraja.
The closure of the market on May 5 after COVID-19 cases were detected has affected the livelihoods of retail traders the most. While a temporary market in Thirumazhisai was allocated to 200 wholesale traders, the retail traders were left in the lurch despite promises that alternate sites will be provided to them to ply their trade. As a result many started selling their wares in whatever open space they could access including on the roads resulting in regular clampdowns by corporation officials.
The move to shift back the market was also due to the Thirumazhisai site getting inundated every now and then affecting regular trade. Many a time truckers even could not unload vegetables. This also impacted the prices of vegetables which skyrocketed, taking them beyond the grasp of the common man. Tomatoes and potaoes which usually sell within Rs 20 to Rs 30 were sold for Rs 50 per kilo in retail.
It is learnt that the Public Works Department even worked out an estimate of Rs 92 lakh to drain the water from the temporary market and submitted it to the district collector. Now officials say the work may not be carried out with the opening of the Koyambedu wholesale market next month.