‘No decision yet on shifting traders of Gandhi Market to new integrated market at Panjapur’

Gandhi Market traders discuss potential move to new integrated market near Panjapur, with concerns over shop sizes and relocation.

No decision has been taken as yet on the shifting of the traders of the Gandhi Market to the new integrated market proposed to be built near Panjapur, Collector M.Pradeep Kumar said here on Saturday

The new market is to be built at an estimated cost of ₹ 236 crore on about 20 acres at the Corporation’s Green Park, off the Old Madurai Road, which leads to the Tiruchi-Madurai National Highway. The market, with about 860 shops, will be situated close to the Integrated Bus Terminus and the Truck Terminal coming up at Panjapur, Mr.Kumar told reporters after chairing a consultative meet with stakeholders, comprising mostly traders from the Gandhi Market in Tiruchi.

With the Gandhi Market traders shunning the Central Market for Vegetables, Fruits and Flowers built at Kallikudi a few years ago citing various reasons including small sizes and poor design of the shops, the Corporation and district authorities have been keen to elicit the views of the traders before going ahead with their plan on building the integrated market near Panjapur.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr.Kumar indicated that Saturday’s meeting was a preliminary one and there could be another meeting with the traders.

“We have not taken any decision on shifting the traders of Gandhi Market; we wanted to hear the view of the traders. They have raised a few demands. Some (among those who spoke at the meeting) wanted only the wholesale traders to be shifted to the new market while some others wanted both wholesale and retail traders to be relocated there. Some wanted the size of the shops to be bigger. We will take into account their views while taking decisions and ensure that the livelihood of none of the traders is affected,” Mr.Kumar said.

Answering a query, he said as per the official records there were 398 wholesale and 360 retail shops at the Gandhi Market. However, platform vendors demanded that they should also be accommodated at the new market. An enumeration would be conducted to identify all traders and space would be allotted for them, he said.

Mr.Kumar clarified that all shops would be situated on the ground floor at the new market. “The shops will be situated on two levels as the Tiruchi-Madurai NH is situated on a higher plane, about four metres higher than the Old Madurai Road. All shops will have direct access for trucks,” he said.