Street vendors may get their own space from the Chennai Corporation in areas where the civic body owns shopping complexes.
In the 152 shopping complexes with 6,190 shops managed by the Corporation, more than 50% of the shops are in a dilapidated state. Such shopping complexes may soon be redeveloped for offering space to street vendors.
The Corporation has already announced that the dilapidated shops are unsafe for pedestrians and motorists. “We have issued notices to the occupants, explaining that the structure may collapse any time,” said an official.
The civic body is planning to use a portion of the redeveloped space in the shopping complexes to protect the livelihood of street vendors. Over 40,000 street vendors have already been identified. “We have issued identity cards to the street vendors,” said an official.
For example, in ward 134 of Kodambakkam zone, the Corporation shopping complex on N.S.K. Salai is dilapidated. The civic body has asked allottees to vacate and has proposed to construct a new building in the land measuring 2,942 sq. m. The complex was constructed in 1971 with 38 shops in the ground floor. In 1985, the complex was expanded to accommodate 38 shops in the first floor and 35 shops in the second.
The Corporation also constructed 86 additional shops at Gandhi Market. In 2011, the Chairman of Ward Committee had given a letter to the Zonal Officer, stating that the complex on N.S.K. Salai needs to be demolished. The committee also recommended reconstruction of the complex, suggesting allocation of the remaining land to vendors.
