Textile market traders block road against roadside shops in Erode

ERODE Traders at the E.K.M. Abdul Gani Textile Market staged a road blockade on Saturday, alleging that the mushrooming of roadside shops during the Deepavali shopping season had affected their livelihood. More than 100 temporary textile shops have come up between Panneerselvam Park and Manikoondu. The traders at the textile commercial complex alleged that the roadside shops had diverted customers, hitting their business.

They said they were already struggling to meet high rental costs amid poor business. Having borrowed lakhs of rupees to stock garments for Deepavali, they feared heavy losses. Despite submitting petitions to the Corporation seeking the removal of roadside shops, no action had been taken, they alleged. On Saturday morning, the traders gathered in front of the commercial complex, stopped a government bus proceeding towards the bus stand and staged a road blockade.

The protest led to a traffic pile-up on the stretch. Police personnel rushed to the spot and held talks with the protesters.