Shops on the first floor of fish-cum-meat market in Tiruchi remain unoccupied

Months after the new fish-cum-meat market on the rear side of Gandhi Market on East Boulevard Road in Tiruchi was opened, shops on the first floor remain unoccupied.

Months after the new fish-cum-meat market on the rear side of Gandhi Market on East Boulevard Road in Tiruchi was opened, shops on the first floor remain unoccupied.

The complex was built after demolishing the dilapidated old building, which had 60 stalls. Before the demolition, the fish and meat vendors were relocated to Diamond Jubilee Bazaar and the space near the abattoir.

The two-storey facility, constructed at a cost of ₹13.49 crore under the Smart Cities Mission, has a plinth area of about 25,000 sq. ft. and houses about 148 stalls for fish, poultry, and meat traders. Both the ground and first floor have 74 stalls each. The facility includes cold storage. Infrastructure for loading and unloading fish consignments, toilets, and parking lots have been provided in the new market.

The market remained non-functional for various reasons, including litigation by a section of traders and intense lobbying for allotment of shops with nominal rent. The market was finally put into use in October, 2024. All traders, who were operating at the old market, were allotted shops based on the auction conducted by Tiruchi Corporation. After the auction, the traders shifted to the new market and began sales.

However, only the shops on the ground floor are functional. All 74 stalls have been occupied by the traders. None of the shops on the first floor is occupied. According to sources, when the stalls on the first floor were brought for auctioning, the traders opted to stay out. No one evinced interest to submit an application for the shops on the first floor stating that customers will not visit the stalls by climbing stairs.

“Customers prefer only the stalls located on the ground floor. If we sell fish or meat on the first floor, we will end up in loss. Hence, no one came forward to apply for the shops on the first floor,” said S.M. Shaffi, a fish trader.

Another trader said the shops should be brought into use by creating more customer- friendly facilities. The Corporation should consider providing amenities such as elevators to attract the customers to the first floor as well.