Thiruvananthapuram: A ministerial-level meeting on Thursday decided to shift 22 traders from behind East Fort bus bay to KSRTC garage premises across the road. The district collector had ordered the eviction of traders and the meeting chaired by Kadakampally Surendran, the guardian minister of the district, was convened to settle the matter amicably.
It has decided to create three bus bays close to Fort walls behind the newly renovated ones. Among the evictees who will be temporarily rehabilitated are 16 sellers whose monopoly lease has been cancelled. Apart from this are six traders who have an agreement with the KSRTC to run shops here. All of them will be allotted 80-square feet shops. The corporation toilet complex built on the Fort walls will be relocated to an appropriate destination.
Further, they have to sign an agreement and pay rent to KSRTC. “These traders, those evicted for Thakaraparambu flyover project and those who will be evicted from 38-cent KSRTC land here will be rehabilitated permanently when a shopping complex constructed later,” the meeting said without precisely stating where the new complex will come up. Revenue minister E. Chandrasekharan and transport minister A.K. Saseendran also attended the meeting besides the power minister.
