TN government may allow more vendors on Marina

CHENNAI: Stalemate of around one and a half year will end soon as the state government is contemplating to allow all the vendors, who are presently running shops on Marina Beach, as the vendors are opposing a move that allocated only 600 shops for them.

According to Chennai Corporation sources, the talks are among the top brass of the State government as the Court has been involved in the issue. "However, it has almost been decided to allow all the shops to run. Discussions are underway as to how the shops could be allowed without any legal issues. Decisions will be taken by keeping the livelihood of the vendors, " an official said.

When asked about 900 smart carts procured for the Marina vendors, the official confided that the carts could not be handed over to the shortlisted vendors due to opposition from others, who are not allocated shops. Presently, the carts are lying idle in burial grounds, playgrounds and other facilities.

As per an estimation by the civic body, the Marina Beach had around 3,000 shops but only around 1,500 vendors have been given vendors' identity cards after a regularisation drive. Based on a High Court order, the civic body allocated 900 shops in January 2021. As per the order, 600 shops were allocated to the existing vendors and 300 shops were allocated to new vendors. Moreover, 900 smart vending carts were procured at a cost of Rs. 17 Crore.

It may be noted that, prior to the court order, the civic body and the city police regularized the shops in the beach citing safety reasons and around 1,900 shops were regularised during the drive. During the drive, the vendors have been promised identity cards. The regularization was conducted in January 2019.

"The Corporation should take measures to at least allocate shops to the vendors, who were regularized and eligible for identity cards. If the existing vendors are ousted, livelihood will be affected, " a vendor said.

Highlights

• Shops allowed by High Court - 900

• Marina had more than 3,000 shops

• Regularization drive by GCC cut down the number of shops to 1,900

• Of the 900 vendors, the court has allowed only 600 shops for existing 1,900 vendors

• GCC spent Rs. 17 Crore for smart vending carts