Tiruchi Corporation, which has planned to build a new wholesale market to accommodate traders of Gandhi Market at Panchapur, close to the proposed integrated bus stand, is understood to have shortlisted Pasumai Poonga for the purpose.
Confirming the plan, a senior official of the Corporation told The Hindu that the civic body owned over 550 acres of land at Panchapur. Hence, there were no issues in allocation of land for the integrated bus stand and the wholesale vegetable, fruit and flower market. While the process of identifying the site for the bus stand was on, Pasumai Poonga was shortlisted for the vegetable market.
The park had about 22 acres of land, sufficient to build a spacious market. Located along Tiruchi-Madurai Highway, it had excellent road connectivity. It was located at just a 10-minute drive from Tiruchi junction.
Since the bus stand had been proposed at a nearby location, the official said, there were avenues for connecting all major roads at Panchappur. It would, in turn, facilitate transport of vegetables, fruits and flowers from different parts of the State by farmers and traders to the market.
A proposal had been mooted for building the vegetable market and steps taken to appoint a consultant for the project. Besides studying the feasibility aspect, the consultant would be tasked with the preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR).
The Pasumai Poonga was developed about 10 years ago when V.P. Thandapani was Corporation Commissioner. It was aimed at creating a leisure facility for the entertainment-starved residents of the city. More than 1,500 saplings of various varieties, including vembu, coconut, palm and neer maruthu, were raised.
According to official records, more than 350 residents contributed ₹3,000 each for raising tree saplings. A play area was also provided for children in the park as an attraction. A cycle track was later added to the facilities. The Corporation initially had plans to install replicas of world monuments such as the Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal, London Bridge and Opera House. But, the project could not be executed completely and it subsequently lost its sheen due to poor maintenance and sparse visitors.
It has once again been brought into focus with the proposal for a new market for wholesale traders of Gandhi Market, who refused to move to the Integrated Market for Vegetable, Fruits and Flowers at Kallikudi on Tiruchi-Madurai Highway citing distance from the city.
The new proposal has been mooted along with the integrated bus stand soon after the visit of K.N. Nehru, Minister for Municipal Administration, to Panchapur recently.
The official is of the view that since Panchapur is close to the city, traders will not hesitate to move to the proposed market.