Shopkeepers from the old market in Valliyoor, who came to Tirunelveli District Collectorate on Monday to submit a petition about allotment of shops in the new market complex.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Alleging irregularities in the allotment of shops at new market complex in Valliyoor and increased base price, traders of old market submitted a petition at the weekly grievance redress meeting chaired by Tirunelveli District Collector R. Sukumar here on Monday.
In the petition, the traders said 133 traders from different parts of Radhapuram taluk had been operating shops at the old market complex. In 2022, the daily market, which belonged to Valliyoor Town Panchayat, and was managed by a contractor, was taken back by the urban civic body, and it was rebuilt.
The traders said that they had been provided temporary space during the construction period, but the location was isolated and negatively affected their regular business. However, after the completion of the new market complex’s construction in December 2024, the Demand Draft (DD) was issued to 133 traders from the old market for shop allotment.
Subramanian, one of the traders, said: “However, after a few months, we were asked to return the DD and a fresh tender was floated last November.” During the tender process, of the 222 shops in the new market, 104 shops were taken by bidders while 5% of the shops were reserved for persons with disabilities, leaving only 107 shops for 133 traders from the old market complex.
Traders alleged that political party members and officials had used their influence, leading to irregularities in shop allotment. The base price for shops was originally fixed at ₹4,500, but was later increased to ₹7,300 for traders who receive shops on priority, they said.
Through the petition, traders placed several demands before the District Collector, including fixing a uniform support base price for all 133 shops, collecting rent on a monthly basis instead of annually and ensuring allotment of 133 shops to traders of the old market.
The traders urged the Collector to take action noting that most of them had been running shops at the market for over 40 years and their livelihood depended on it.
Published – December 29, 2025 06:50 pm IST
