Why not open Marina beach to public, HC asks civic body

Why not open Marina beach to public, HC asks civic body

Says Decision Rests With Authorities Concerned

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:30.09.2020

Consider reopening the ‘beautiful’ Marina beach for public, the Madras high court on Tuesday told the Chennai corporation. When everything else is being opened up, why not the beach, the court wondered.

A division bench of Justice Vineet Kothari and Justice Krishnan Ramaswamy however, made it clear that it is up to the authorities concerned to take such a policy decision in opening the beach. The beach was closed for public access in view of the pandemic. The bench made the observations while hearing a batch of pleas pertaining to regulating and restricting vending in Marina.

When the pleas came up for hearing, additional advocate general S R Rajagopalan said, tender process to purchase uniform vending carts and other related works have already been commenced and that he would file a status report in a short adjournment. Recording the same, the bench adjourned the pleas to October 5 for the corporation to file status reports. In December last, the corporation informed the court that only 900 vendors would be permitted to carry out vending on the Marina beach and that it has planned to purchase uniform smart vending carts to be distributed to such identified vendors at ₹27 crore.

Apart from the identified hawkers, no one would be permitted to carry out vending on the sands of the Marina. In 2017, a total of 1,544 vendors were enumerated, out of which identity cards were issued to 1,486 vendors. As per the enumeration conducted in 2019, there were 1,962 shops, out of which only 808 shop vendors possessed identity cards, the authorities said. The issue pertains to a plea moved by Fishermen Care, a fishermen rights association, seeking direction to the state government to increase the allowance provided to fishermen community during the fishing ban period. However, the scope of the PIL was expanded, covering regularisation of vendors on the Marina Promenade and Loop Road, and as to the steps taken for beautification of the beach.

MAJESTIC: An aerial view of Marina Beach which has been closed for public in view of the pandemic