THOOTHUKUDI: Shopkeepers in Muthuramalingam Thevar daily market, who allegedly failed to pay the rent on time, prevented Kovilpatti municipality officials' efforts to seal the defaulting shops on Wednesday.
The Municipal Administration and Water Supply department had issued orders to construct a new building for the Kovilpatti Pasumpon Muthuramalingam Thevar daily market at an estimate of Rs 6.87 crore under the Kalaignar's urban development scheme. The project was tendered on January 2 and officials wanted to shift the existing shops to new bus stand premises until the construction of the new building was completed.
Sources said the daily market owned by the Kovilpatti municipality is 68 years old and the buildings are dilapidated. The market premises has over 393 shops, while the actual number of lessees is said to be 114. In pursuit to construct the new building, the municipality summoned the lessee of each shop demanding to remit the pending rental charges. Meanwhile, over 98 shopkeepers have obtained a stay from the court for eviction demanding more time, they said.
"Subsequently, the municipality issued notices to over 69 shopkeepers who had not given the pending rental dues exceeding Rs 25,000. As they did not pay the rent to date, over nine bill collectors headed by revenue inspector Prem Kumar went to seal the defaulting shops. Even as they managed to seal one shop, the shopkeepers stopped them from sealing other shops. An altercation broke out between the shopkeepers and the civic officials and police intervened to avert any untoward incident," added sources.
In the melee, the shopkeepers allegedly attacked the revenue inspector. Prem Kumar, who gave a complaint to Kovilpatti east police station, told TNIE that the shopkeepers prevented him from discharging official duties and attacked him for sealing the shops and issued death threats. They verbally abused me saying they are powerful enough to transfer me to far-off places," he said.
A municipal official told TNIE that the shopkeepers were convinced to vacate the place during two previous meetings, and the municipal chairman Karunanidhi had passed a resolution to provide priority for the existing 114 shop lessees. Many existing shopkeepers are not the real lessees, he added.
Activist A Sankaralingam said the existing market building is in shambles and could fall down anytime, which poses a grave threat to the consumers and the public. Considering the safety, the municipality and the district administration must evict the shopkeepers and construct a new building, he insisted.