COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) has begun clearing the parking lot near Anna Market on Mettupalayam Road to shift the traders there and kick-start the renovation works at the market in a phased manner. The move comes after the traders refused to move to the land allotted near Eru Company in Kavundampalayam.
According to sources, 476 shops have been functioning in Anna Market on Mettupalayam (MTP) Road in Coimbatore for over 35 years. One of the oldest markets in the city, the Anna market turns into a field of puddles with slush and water, making the space unusable for both the traders as well as the public, during the rains.
In this situation, numerous petitions and requests were filed with the civic body by the traders to renovate the market with basic amenities. The civic body, during its budget for the FY 2023-24, announced that the three markets including the MGR, Anna, and the Sundarapuram tomato markets will be renovated at an estimated cost of Rs 8.07 crore.
Sources said that a tender was floated and the development works were set to begin soon. In view of the development works to be carried out in the market, the civic body issued a notice to the traders of the Anna Market in May asking them to shift to the old compost yard’s land at Kavundampalayam. However, the traders opposed shifting to the new location as the place lacks cleanliness, safety and other basic amenities. In this situation, the civic body officials have recently begun clearing the parking lot near the market and getting it ready for the traders to shift there temporarily in order to carry out the work.
CCMC Commissioner M Prathap said, “The old toilet building on the parking lot near Anna Market is being demolished now. We’re clearing the land and a few traders will be shifted to that land once it’s cleared. And they’ve shifted, we’ll be carrying out the market renovation works in a phased manner.”