CHENNAI: About 50% of semiwholesale shops at the
Koyambedu Wholesale Market Complex (KWMC) are likely to be allowed to operate.
The development comes a day after the government announced that retail outlets of fruit and vegetable will be prohibited at
Koyambedu as part of new measures to check the second surge of Covid-19 cases. This meant only 200
wholesale shops out of 1960 outlets in the vegetable section could alone function.
Official sources with the housing and urban development department said a request has been made to the government by the CMDA seeking to allow 50% of shops on a rotational basis. "We will start experimenting on Friday or Monday as relaxation in the government order Covid-19 was required for the purpose," a housing and urban development department official said. The issue was discussed in a meeting convened with representatives of traders associations, Market Management Committee (MMC) and CMDA officials on Friday, sources added. MMC operates under the aegis of the CMDA.
Similarly, 350 semi-wholesale shops at the fruit section in Koyambedu will also come under the purview of allowing 50% shops to function on a rotational basis. On Friday, hundreds of semi-wholesale traders laid a siege to the office of the chief administrative officer of the MMC at Koyambedu demanding alternate sites to continue with their business. S S Muthukumar, president of Koyambedu Semi-Wholesale Vegetable Traders Association, the traders demanded alternate days to operate within Koyambedu. "About 50% of the shops can be allowed to function on alternate days to maintain social distancing. Otherwise, alternate sites such as open spaces in different parts in the city such as play grounds could be provided for us for the purpose," he said.
On an average, the KWMC is used by 50,000 people everyday, which includes retail and wholesale traders, load men and vehicles ferrying fruits, flower and vegetables from different parts of Tamil Nadu and other states when the market operates with full capacity.