The Hindu           06.03.2017  

Modern fish market to be opened soon

Wait ends:The building had remained locked for over two years due to disputes over the allotment of stalls and norms for selection of vendorsT. Singaravelou  

Fisheries Department has begun the process of selecting beneficiaries for allotting the stalls, says a government official

After years of delay due to procedural wrangles between the Fisheries Department and the Oulgaret Municipality, the Modern Hygienic Fish Market on the East Coast Road is likely to be opened soon.

The building had remained locked for over two years due to disputes over the allotment of stalls to vendors and the norms for selection of vendors.

The two-storey fully air-conditioned structure spread over 37,886 square feet was built by the Project Implementation Agency (PIA) with the World Bank assistance of Rs. 13.5 crore under the Tsunami Emergency Rehabilitation Project I. The complex was inaugurated by former chief minister N. Rangasamy on February 19, 2014.

According to a senior government official, “The Fisheries Department has begun the process of selecting the beneficiaries for allotment of stalls. The stalls will be demarcated by selecting vendors from all fishing panchayats and those who have already been affiliated to any of the fish markets managed by the municipalities and commune panchayats cannot claim rights. The market will be run by the Oulgaret municipality.”

The new complex was planned to cater to the needs of fishermen from several coastal villages in Puducherry. The complex has around 110 air-conditioned stalls, including 55 stalls on the ground floor, with cold storage facilities and separate areas for processing and cutting fish.

The other facilities in the complex include an effluent treatment plant, auction hall for fish, 10-tonne capacity ice plant and an ATM. The plant would treat effluents collected from the market and has been fitted with a 10-KV solar power plant to meet the requirements of the shopping area.

While cheap varieties of fish will be sold on the first floor, costly ones will be available in the second floor. Since the complex is big, fishermen from several coastal villages can sell their catch.