Traders protest over notice asking them to vacate Goubert Market

. Puducherry traders block Anna Salai to protest notice to vacate Goubert Market for Smart City project. Police talk to protestors, CM assures reconstruction in phased manner.

Traders of Goubert Market on Friday resorted to a road blockade on the arterial Anna Salai in Puducherry, protesting against the notice pasted by Municipal authorities on the shops asking them to vacate to make way for the reconstruction of the market under the Smart City project.

The traders have been against the reconstruction of the market. Their contention was that the demolition of the market would affect their livelihood and the government should take up reconstruction in a phased manner.

On Friday morning, traders downed shutters and blocked traffic on the Anna Salai. On information, police personnel arrived and held talks with the protestors but they refused to oblige. The traders argued with the police that the notices were pasted at the shops in the night and that they were not given prior information to vacate the shops.

Later, a section of the agitators led by Puducherry Leader of Opposition R. Siva, AITUC general secretary Sethu Selvam, and CPI (M) secretary R. Rajangam met Chief Minister N. Rangasamy in his chamber in the Legislative Assembly and demanded the Government to stop the demolition of the market.

Mr. Siva told journalists that he was not against the reconstruction of the market but the civic body had not taken the market traders into confidence. It was not proper on the part of the Puducherry Municipality to demolish the entire structure. Instead of shifting, some of the wholesale and retail vendors could be accommodated in the old jail complex on Jawaharlal Nehru Street.

The Chief Minister has assured the leaders that the demolition of the entire structure has been put on hold and reconstruction would be taken up in a phased manner, Mr. Siva added.