Encroachments demolished at Netaji market in Vellore town to improve access for people

The Corporation demolished encroachments at Vellore's Netaji Wholesale Market on Thursday to improve accessibility for visitors. The 1.5-acre market, established in 1868, has 736 shops and 282 retail outlets. The removal aimed to provide more leg space for consumers during the festival season, as noted by Assistant Engineer S. Venkatesan.

The demolitions were prompted by numerous complaints from residents about encroachments, which officials said blocked the narrow market stretches, causing congestion, especially for women. Illegal temporary structures, holdings, and extensions of existing shops were removed, with most occupying at least three feet of the narrow market space.

The market, named after Subhas Chandra Bose in the 1960s, serves a population of over 10 lakh residents within 60 wards. However, attempts to rebuild the market with modern facilities failed due to the Archaeological Survey of India declining to grant a NOC, as the market is located within the protected 100-metre area of the 16th-century Vellore Fort complex.