Unfazed by vendor boycott, GCC allots 300 stalls at Marina via lots

Chennai: Undeterred by a complete boycott by 1,417 vendors stationed at Marina Beach, Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) went ahead and completed allotment of 300 stalls though a lottery system, monitored by a retired chief justice, on Thursday.Though several hundred chairs had been laid out in Ripon Buildings campus, they remained unoccupied as vendors did not turn up. However, GCC officials completed allotment under the supervision of former Jammu & Kashmir high court Chief Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar. Only one vendor—a woman from Purasawalkam—turned up for the draw, but in vain.
Muthu P, president of Marina street vendors association, said they shopkeepers were not consulted. "Earlier, 900 allotments were issued without consulting us. Even now, we were not taken into confidence. All of us boycotted the drive. Govt and courts are pushing vendors to the streets and creating law-and-order issues," he said.In the food category, nearly 850 vendors were surveyed, of whom 100 were selected. Five eligible applicants were allotted shops under the 5% reservation for persons with disabilities, while the remaining 95 stalls were allotted to general category through lottery. Ten candidates were placed on waiting list in case selected allottees failed to take possession.For the toys and fancy items categories, more than 400 vendors competed for 100 stalls each, and allotments were finalized.A senior official said the corporation will submit the allotment list before court and proceed with removing existing encroachments. "Now, the task is to clear the beach and streamline vending to 300 stalls," the official said.The 121-acre Marina Beach was divided into nine phases—four phases earmarked as Blue Flag beach stretches without stalls, and three are designated for vendors. A 250-metre Phase-4 Blue Flag zone is being developed near the Cooum estuary, followed by a 39-acre vending zone spanning 375 metres that will house 100 stalls.The already established Phase-1 Blue Flag beach near Anna swimming pool extends 265 metres, followed by a 200-metre stretch near Triplicane where another 100 stalls will be located. After the 450-metre-long Phase-2 Blue Flag beach, a 31-acre vending zone will accommodate the final 100 stalls. The longest Blue Flag stretch, Phase-4, spans 600 metres near the lighthouse, where an additional 100-metre strip was earmarked for limited vending.