TIRUCHY: In a major urban redevelopment move aimed at easing the congestion and restoring the historic Teppakulam area near the Rockfort temple, the city corporation will relocate over 158 Burma Bazaar shops to the Yaanaikulam ground near Singarathope.
A resolution to this effect was adopted during the corporation council meeting on Tuesday. For several decades, Burma Bazaar shops have been functioning out of corporation-allotted land in the western and southern sections of Teppakulam.
The area includes some of the city's busiest roads leading to the Rockfort hillock and commercial streets like NSB Road. The presence of shops and street vendors, however, has created significant hindrance for pedestrians and added to the vehicular congestion.
The effect was also felt when a laser light and sound show project launched by the corporation at the Teppakulam tank to boost tourism was suspended over the congestion. With the relocation of the Burma Bazaar shops, the light and sound show project will be revived, said officials.
On the plan to relocate Burma Bazaar shopkeepers to the Yaanaikulam ground, a corporation official said, "To facilitate this, we will be constructing a complex with 158 shops -- 96 of which will measure 80 sq ft each, and 62 shops will come up on 64 sq ft each.
A well-planned commercial complex with essential amenities such as roads, drinking water, toilets and street lighting will be developed. The project will be implemented soon."
Similarly, around 275 of the 370 identified street vendors with permanent ID cards operating across key commercial areas such as NSB Road, Teppakulam, Periya Kadai Veethi, Chathiram Bus Stand and Nandhi Koil Street will be relocated.
"We have identified three relocation sites: near Holy Cross College on Fort Station Road, Chathiram Bus Stand near St Joseph's College, and a corporation commercial complex on Nandhi Koil Street ," the official said.