Perambur shopkeepers protest against Chennai Metro Rail

CHENNAI: Shops on Perambur Market Road remained shut on Tuesday, in protest against the second phase of the Chennai Metro Rail expansion, which is expected to raze down more than 60 shops along the stretch. Around 200 shopkeepers, traders and businessmen also observed a day-long fast to protest the proposed expansion.

The Perambur Market station along the Assisi Nagar-Sipcot stretch will be on a section of the Perambur Market Road which means 22 feet on either side of the stretch will be demolished to make way for the station.

Shopkeepers claimed that this move to build a station on the market road will affect more than 2,000 people who are directly or indirectly dependent on the commercial activity along the stretch.
“Around 600 people benefit from the business in my four shops,” said ‘Revathi’ Manivannan, owner of Revathi home needs, explaining that the shopkeepers aren’t against development but just against the selection of the narrow market road for the Metro station.

Senthil Kumar, who owns a beauty parlour along the same stretch alleged that the CMRL has made a decision to build a route with no hindsight.  “There is continuous share auto service along this route which costs less than `10. People will not choose the Metro which will be more expensive,” he said.
Earlier in March, shopkeepers along Purasawalkam High Road had downed shutters protesting this route, which is also expected to bring down commercial establishments.

T Vellaiyan, who also took part in the protests, said the metro expansion was part of a larger plan to bury local businesses. “This move to destroy shops in Perambur and Purasawalkam is to promote the wholesale market which is to come up in BNC Mills in Perambur,” he said.