05-05-2025
Corp to call meet on traders' rehab
T'puram: City corporation failed to end the deadlock over a section of traders protesting against the rehabilitation of traders to the new temporary facility behind the
Palayam Connemara Market
as part of the
market revamp project
.
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The civic body will call a meeting soon with the traders to reassure them and ensure that all traders are shifted to new facility without causing them difficulty. A total of 360 traders need to be relocated, of which fewer than 100 traders still need an electricity connection at the temporary facility.
Palayam ward councillor Palayam Rajan expressed disappointment over the delay but remained optimistic that the issue could be resolved through dialogue.
"The new temporary facility was constructed with all necessary amenities in mind. We understand the concerns of traders, but this revamp is essential. We are trying our best to address issues like the electricity connection for the remaining few. Corporation will soon call a meeting and ensure all 460 traders are relocated," he said.
The civic body said that
market redevelopment
is long overdue and necessary to address sanitation, safety and structural concerns at the decades-old Connemara Market.
The temporary facility was set up to ensure uninterrupted business for traders during the construction phase of the new market complex.
The Rs 55-crore market redevelopment project, being executed by RDS Projects Ltd under the Smart City Mission, was expected to begin by March 31, 2025. However, the delay created financial and administrative complications, with additional funds now needed to proceed.
The temporary facilities, jointly set up by the city corporation and Trida, consist of three prefabricated rehabilitation blocks made from high-quality steel.
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Designed for ease of dismantling post-construction, they can house up to 460 traders, with dedicated sections for fish vendors.
While most of the market will undergo significant changes, authorities have decided to retain the historic main gate, which holds cultural significance as a symbol of the erstwhile Travancore. The revamp of Palayam Market has been in the pipeline for over a decade.
