Political parties urge Salem Corporation to sort out VOC market tender issues to generate revenue

Political parties, including the DMK and AIADMK, urged the Salem Corporation to sort out the tender issues in auctioning shops at VOC market soon to generate revenue for the Corporation.

The V.O. Chidambaran (VOC) market is one of the main flower and vegetable markets in Salem town. From all over the districts, flowers, fruits, and vegetables reach this market for sales.

Under the Smart Cities Mission, the VOC market was demolished, and constructed with adequate facilities at a cost of ₹14.58 crore. Later, for providing additional facilities, the Corporation spent ₹1.50 crore. In June 2023, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin inaugurated the market. In November 2023, Salem Corporation auctioned the shops in the market and an individual took the shops for ₹9.11 crore. The person paid for the shops for the first year, but allegedly failed to make the payment for the second year.

While the Corporation tried to reauction the shops, the person moved the court and got a stay for the tender process six months ago. The DMK and AIADMK members demanded the Corporation in the monthly council meeting to sort out the issues quickly.

Opposition leader in the Corporation N. Yadhavamoorthy (AIADMK) said that using political influence, a tender was allegedly allocated and the person who took the tender failed to pay the money. Now the Corporation collects ₹100 per day from each shop in the VOC market. For the past six months, the Corporation collected this amount, through which it sustained a loss to the tune of ₹6 crore.

If the Corporation fixes the deposit amount for each shop and monthly rent, many will come to take shops in auction. The person who took the tender allegedly collected several lakhs from the shopkeepers as a deposit amount. The Corporation should look into the issue and sort out the legal issues and reauction the shops, Mr. Yadhavamoorthy added.

Salem Corporation Commissioner M. Elangovan said that receipts are given to the shopkeepers for the amount collected from them by the Corporation. Steps are taken to lift the stay on the tender through legal process. Once the stay is lifted, the shops will be auctioned, the Commissioner added.