Traders in Tirunelveli go on hunger strike against demolition drive

Tirunelveli: The traders of Nethaji Bose market, functioning in the heart of the city, shut their shops for a day and entered into a hunger protest putting forth their demands as the Tirunelveli municipal corporation is planning to demolish the market to construct a multi-storied market building cum vehicle parking.

The traders demanded the existing shopkeepers be given priority while allocating shops once the market is rebuilt under smart city mission. The project was proposed at a cost of around Rs 11 crore. The traders jumped into protest as the corporation has sent notice to the traders to vacate the shops in a few days time to give way for construction.

There are two prominent markets in Tirunelveli city. While the Nethaji Bose market is a wholesale one, the one at Palayamkottai is a retail market. According to traders, there are more than 300 shops functioning in the market, which is several decades old. Flower shops, vegetable and fruit shops and grocery stores are functioning there. Recently, the traders had petitioned the district collector Shilpa Prabakar Satish airing their demands.

Apart from priority in shops allocation, they also demanded corporation officials and the district collector to provide a temporary place to set up the market till the completion of the project.

Addressing the newsmen, former MLA N Maalai Raja of DMK party who led the protest said that the corporation has given a short notice to vacate the shops and they cannot do so until their demands are met with. The protest will escalate if their demands are not considered he added.

A large number of police personnel were posted at the market, which wore a deserted look, to avoid any untoward incident.