State government ponders on allowing all 3,000 vendors at Marina Beach

An almost 16-month stalemate will end soon, as the State government is taking a decision to allow all vendors with current establishments on Marina Beach to continue, as they opposed a move that allocated only 600 shops.

According to Chennai Corporation sources, discussions are among the top brass of the State government as the High Court has been involved in the issue. “However, it has almost been decided to allow all the shops to run. Discussions are underway as to how the shops could be allowed without any legal issues. Decisions will be taken to make sure their livelihoods are not affected,” an official said.

When asked about 900 smart carts procured for the Marina vendors, the official confided that the carts could not be handed over to the shortlisted vendors due to opposition from others who are not allocated shops.

Presently, the carts are lying idle in burial grounds, playgrounds and other facilities.

As per an estimation by the civic body, the Marina Beach had around 3,000 shops but only around 1,500 vendors have been given vendors’ identity cards after a regularisation drive. Based on a High Court order, the civic body allocated 900 shops in January 2021. As per the order, 600 were allocated to the existing vendors and 300 were allocated to new vendors. Moreover, 900 smart vending carts were procured at a cost of Rs 17 crore.

Prior to the HC order, in January 2019, the civic body and the city police regularised around 1,900 shops on the beach citing safety reasons. During the drive, vendors were promised identity cards.

“The Corporation should take measures to at least allocate shops to vendors who were regularised and eligible for identity cards. If the existing vendors are ousted, our livelihoods will be affected,” a vendor said.