Now, encroachers are renting out public space on NSB Road

Shopkeepers have extended their shops by putting up temporary structures with poles and plastic sheets on NSB Road in Tiruchi.
| Photo Credit: File Photo

At a time when indiscriminate encroachment of public space by pavement shopkeepers on NSB Road and Nandhi Kovil Street, the city’s main commercial centre around the Rockfort Teppakulam, has emerged as a menace, complaints have emerged that most of the pavement shops have been given to the vendors for rent by the encroachers.

Though the occupation of public space was not new on NSB Road, now on some stretches encroachment by vendors and hawkers can be seen even on the middle of the road, thereby causing much inconvenience to the shoppers, permanent traders, motorists and others. It is said that the encroachment was rampant, indiscriminate and unchecked.

Pedestrians are put to untold sufferings and they are forced to walk on the road as all pavements are occupied by vendors. The public space of the road is reduced to five to six feet as shopkeepers, especially between Main Guard Gate and Chinthamani Market complex. Shopkeepers have extended their shops by putting up temporary structures with poles and plastic sheets.

Only a few pavement vendors were operating about 20 years ago. No one was allowed to establish shops on the pavement of the Teppakulam, which is part of the Sri Thayumanaswamy Temple (Rockfort Temple). But some vendors began to sell clothes on the pavement during Deepavali season. A section of traders, even after the season, began to transact business at the same places, where they used to sell clothes during festival seasons. The practice became permanent for them.

However, according to sources, except for a few, most of the vendors on the NSB Road have been paying daily rent to the original encroachers. It is alleged that they have been collecting rent for the pavements and the public spaces, claiming that they were the first encroachers.

“The vendors, who operate on the Teppakulam pavement, pay ₹600 to ₹700 daily as rent to the persons, who had occupied the spaces about 20 years ago. They earn about ₹20,000 per month by renting out the road spaces. If anyone refuses to pay rent, he will be evicted by force,” said a pavement shopper of the same locality on condition of anonymity.

When contacted a senior official of the Corporation admitted the practice. “We have received complaints about the practice of collecting daily rent for the road space. There are complaints that the vendors are being threatened by a group of persons if they refuse to pay rent. The issue has been discussed at various levels. A suitable action will be taken soon,” the official said.