Residents of various zones demand larger buildings for ration shops

Residents demand new, modern buildings with waiting halls and toilets for PDS shops in Chennai, facing infrastructure challenges.

Residents in various zones of the city have demanded new buildings with waiting halls and toilets for ration shops. Councillors, who flagged the issue of lack of modern infrastructure for Public Distribution System (PDS) shops, have called for the construction of new shop buildings on Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) land.

Egmore ward 61 councillor Fatima Ahmed said GCC officials in zone 5 (Royapuram) had not identified spaces for construction of PDS shops in Boopathy Nagar, near Casa Major Road. “Residents have demanded new buildings for the PDS shop. But the GCC zonal officials have delayed identification of land for construction of the shop. It has been one and a half months since we asked for a suitable land for the shop,” she said.

Councillors, who have demanded land for PDS shops, asked GCC officials to coordinate with other departments to identify land parcels to construct large modern buildings. Many of the PDS shops were operating from rented buildings in the city.

K.S. Kannan of Mugalivakkam said most of the rented buildings of PDS shops, including that of Mugalivakkam in Alandur zone, were operating out of buildings of less than 200 sq.ft area, which is inadequate for constructing waiting halls and toilets. “Residents have been waiting on the road, during the rain and in the sun, near PDS shops. We want larger buildings,” she said.

Lourde Mary of Mogappair West said residents had demanded toilets and drinking water facilities at the PDS shop as they had been waiting for several hours near the shop.

V.S. Jayaraman of T. Nagar said residents in his area protested during the previous AIADMK regime while the PDS shop in Rameswaram Road was shifted to Mambalam High Road. “The new shop has been built on a footpath. So, residents have to wait on the road. There is no space for the public. Rain or shine, we have to bear it. There are two shops, 007 and 009. We stand outside amid the already congested road near the Mambalam railway station. In times of distribution of welfare schemes, people have to queue up,” he said.

“TUCS building was shifted overnight without seeking the opinion of residents several years ago. We protested, but it had no effect,” Mr. Jayaraman said.