The Consumer Protection Council, Tamil Nadu, has made a representation to the Chief Secretary, seeking intervention to ensure that Gandhi Market was not reopened but shifted to Kallikudi Complex.
In a letter to Chief Secretary K. Shanmugam, with copies also addressed to the Secretary to Chief Minister, Jayashree Muralidharan, and Collector S. Sivarasu, Secretary of Consumer Protection Council, Tamil Nadu, S. Pushpavanam said the maximum good for the largest number of people being the basic principle of governance a few hundreds of traders must not be allowed to have their way with their muscle power, money power and political influence.
The encroachments in and outside the market were the cause for pollution and traffic congestion, resulting in wastage of fuel and wastage of man-hours of lakhs of people who had to pass through the narrow strip of road available for traffic.
Ignorant people bought unhygienic vegetables and other goods sold in the environment.
The structures in Gandhi Market had already become dilapidated, and the wiring, more than 60 years old, caused frequent fire accidents, the letter said.
The facility created at Kallikudi by the State government at a cost of ₹77 crore comprising 800 shops with several lifts from ground floor to first floor and other modern facilities was going waste.
“Therefore, we request you to permanently close the Gandhi Market which, after reconstruction, could be used for a better purpose. The wholesale and retail traders must be forced to go to Kallikudi complex and all encroachments in and around and opposite Gandhi Market must be cleared, Mr. Pushpavanam said.