COIMBATORE: Traders of weekly and daily vegetable market at Karamadai have opposed to the municipality's decision of changing the market place from near the municipality office to the Karamadai bus stand. They said that they would hold protests if the municipality doesn't withdraw its decision.
They alleged that the shifting will lead to a congestion as they have been allotted 3 acres for the market near the bus stand while the current market is situated in a space of 8 acres.
S Ramamurthy, a vegetable trader from the market said, "More than 900 shops and more than 300 shops have been functioning here during the weekly and daily markets respectively. The market has been here for more than seven decades. When the municipal council passed the resolution to shift the market place to the bus stand, we had expressed our concerns that it shouldn't be done as we will face shortage of space."
TT Arumugasamy, another trader said, "The last AIADMK government had renovated the building at the market. The decision of shifting the market will be a waste of the taxpayers' money. The land near the bus stand, where the market is set to be shifted, belongs to the railway department, which means that the space may be shortened in the future citing the laying of tracks. This will not only affect the trader, but also the public."
Karamadai Municipality chairman Usha Venkatesh said, "There is heavy traffic congestion during the morning and evening every day in the municipality. We took the decision to shift the market, after consulting the municipal council. We have passed the resolution, but will implement the plan after consulting the public and the traders."