THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The long-pending redevelopment project to give a make over to the century-old Palayam Connemara Market is yet to take off owing to the inordinate delay in the rehabilitation of traders.
It has been two months since Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (SCTL) completed the construction of the temporary rehabilitation blocks to shift around 389 traders from the market. However, the City Corporation and the Trivandrum Development Authority (TRIDA) are yet to allot the shops to the traders because of their objection.
It is learned that the traders are unhappy with the allotted space at the new rehabilitation blocks, constructed at a cost of Rs 12 crore by the SCTL. The fish and vegetable vendors are demanding an open space if they are to shift their business. According to officials of the SCTL, the Smart City Mission will be wound up in another five months.
“We have to launch the work before that and the rehabilitation procedures are going on at a snail’s pace. If we fail to launch the project, the fund will lapse and the project will face more delays,” said an official source.
According to TRIDA chairman K C Vikraman, the rehabilitation of traders is nearing completion. “We have around 48 traders in the TRIDA-owned space and though they were not happy they agreed to shift to the temporary blocks. It is only for a few months and they will be moved back to the redeveloped market once the project is completed,” said Vikraman. He added that the fish and vegetable traders were not ready to move to the new block.
“Efforts are ongoing to convince the traders to shift so that the project can take off. Everybody will have to adjust as this is only a temporary arrangement,” he added.
According to the Corporation officials, the rehabilitation of the traders will be completed immediately. “We need to shift around 300 traders from the market and there are issues and we are trying to resolve them. Majority of the traders are demanding shops on the ground floor of the rehabilitation block and it is impossible,” said councillor Palayam Rajan.
In a recent meeting chaired by Mayor Arya Rajendran, a decision was taken to allot the shops on the ground floor for the elderly and handicapped. The total cost of the redevelopment project is `113 crore. As part of the project, a hi-tech fish and meat market will be constructed on the ground floor and the traders will be given designated stalls in the market. The first and second floors of the market will be used for commercial purposes.
The construction of the rehabilitation block in the TRIDA-owned land began in 2020 and owing to the pandemic the project suffered delays and the SCTL could complete it only recently.