Merchants threaten poll boycott over unmet demands in Erode

Claiming that their demands over the past five years had not been addressed, leading to heavy business losses, members of the Erode Kongalamman All Merchants’ Association have said they are unwilling to cast their votes in the Assembly election.

In a petition submitted to election officials at the Collectorate on Friday, the members, led by association president A. Chelladurai, said their commercial locality was categorised as ‘A Grade’, resulting in high taxes. They pointed out that the area, which houses the Nethaji Daily Vegetable and Fruit Market, textile showrooms, shops selling essential commodities and utensils, gold jewellery outlets, furniture showrooms and hardware stores within a half-kilometre radius, is one of the busiest centres in the city.

The association alleged that the relocation of the vegetable market to the VOC Park grounds during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the subsequent use of the new market premises for other purposes, had adversely affected their business.

They further stated that repeated representations seeking reduction in taxes had not yielded any results. Among their key demands are the relocation of vegetable shops to R.K.V. Road, allotment of vacant government buildings and land to small traders and street vendors at subsidised rents, shifting of two TASMAC outlets in the area, and reduction in taxes.

They added that if the vegetable market is not restored, the area should be reclassified from ‘A Grade’ to ‘C Grade’.