TN traders announce state-wide strike to press for reopening of Koyambedu market

Chennai: The Federation of Tamil Nadu Traders Associations has called for a state-wide traders strike on August 10 to demand the immediate opening of the Koyambedu market, which was closed in the first week of May after it was found that it was a source of coronavirus infection.

Office-bearers of the federation held a meeting in Chennai on Tuesday to discuss the closure of the market which has caused hardship to thousands of traders dealing in vegetables, fruits and flowers, besides leading to tonnes of perishable goods going waste every day.

The federation president A M Vikrama Raja said they were seeking the suport of all traders’ associations to make the strike total in the state. He asked traders all over the state to close their establishments next Monday.

He said the union had met deputy chief minister O Pannerselvam and presented him a memorandum of demands. The traders gave an assurance that they would follow safety norms and adhere to social distancing rules.

Besides the Koyambedu market, many other smaller markets across Tamil Nadu are closed and traders have been asked to shift to other venues following the outbreak of COVID-19. Vikrama Raja wanted all markets to be reopened.

Minister for food and civil supplies R Kamaraj, who inspected the Koyambedu market, told media that chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswamt would take a call on reopening the market after Covid-19 infections go down.