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.