Trichy: Three weeks after the inauguration, the 10-acre Kallikudi integrated vegetables and fruit market complex is yet to see the light of day. Though keys were handed over to all 300 wholesale traders who were allotted shops in the complex, they are yet to occupy the facility. Claiming that the wholesale traders are waiting to shift as a bunch, officials said that traders are still operating from Gandhi market complex."The wholesale traders will coordinate among themselves and shift as a bunch," an official source said. The agriculture marketing department hopes that wholesale traders would gradually leave Gandhi market because of the ban on heavy vehicles. It may be recalled that structural modifications were made to the complex in January 2018 as sought by the traders to provide additional space for every shops on the ground floor.The integrated market set up at Kallikudi near Manikandam at an estimated cost of Rs 77 crore was opened on June 30 with a view to decongesting the Gandhi market. Though the Agriculture Business and Agriculture Marketing department issued keys to 300 wholesale traders from the 1,500 applicants, the shops thus far were not utilised by the traders."The wholesale traders are functioning in the Gandhi market with the help of mini-trucks after the ban on heavy vehicles with vegetables and fruit. Unless and until the wholesale traders completely move out, the purpose of establishing the integrated market would not be achieved," M Sekaran, member, road safety council said.

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