Court seeks report with photos on status of Koyambedu market

Chennai

A division bench comprising Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice Anita Sumanth sought a report based on a public interest litigation moved by Kerumpakkam traders’ association that the Koyambedu market had turned out to be a huge cluster in the spread of coronavirus and hence all those connected to the market should be subjected to tests. The association also sought effective implementation of COVID-19 prevention activities in the temporary wholesale market set up at Tirumazhisai.

Additional Advocate General AG Arvindh Pandian appearing on behalf of CMDA submitted about the preventive activities taken up in Koyambedu market, including issue of 3,000 masks on a daily basis. But following the outbreak, the market was shifted to Tirumazhisai, where only 207 shops were allotted space, each with 20 feet gap from one another. In contrast, there were 4,000 shops in Koyambedu market complex.

However, the counsel appearing for the petitioner submitted the shops set up at Tirumazhisai lacked basic facilities and owing to lack of infrastructure, a huge quantum of vegetables and fruits were rotting in the place.

Based on this, the bench sought a report about Koyambedu market and also sought details regarding the facilities available for the traders in Tirumazhisai. The case was then posted to June 9 for further hearing.

Meanwhile, in another plea before Justice K Ravichandra Babu regarding providing compensation to hair dressers, who went out of business during the lockdown period, the government informed the court that steps were being taken to ascertain the scope of reopening salons in Chennai. Based on the submission, the judge adjourned the plea to June 8.

Tamil Nadu Hair Dressers Union represented by its president M Munuswamy had sought for lockdown relief of Rs 30,000 to compensate for the two months during which they suffered a complete loss of livelihood.