CHENNAI: After more than two months, respite for T Nagar traders came in the form of a Supreme Court order to deseal 27 shops and establishments in T Nagar on Monday. Traders heaved a sigh of relief, but many shop owners are yet to pull up shutters as they are waiting to get a glimpse of the order, said Feroze Khan, treasurer and a partner of Shabnam Garments. The Chennai Corporation and Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) had taken action against commercial establishments on Ranganathan Street and Usman Road in T Nagar on October 31, following a directive of the Madras High Court to the CMDA, the Corporation, Metrowater and the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board.“This is happy news after more than two months and it is a consolation to many of us that the shops are opened for at least six weeks,” said Khan. Worries were writ large on the faces of many traders fearing creditors, who would be demanding their money. “Till the shops were closed, we had an excuse that we could not pay the debts because the shops are closed. But now, we have no excuse,” said a trader who owns a shop in a complex.Suresh, another trader who owns Priya Dresses in V K K Complex, said that this was a respite after 69 days. “We will be knowing the exact nature of loss only when we open our shops on Tuesday. Garments will be damaged and I will have to sell a garment worth `400 for just `50. We have been reduced to penury,” he rued.But, shopowners like Suresh may still have the Pongal shopping season to help cut losses. N Sukumaran, secretary of Ranganathan Street Merchants Association and owner of a shop where Jayachandran Textiles is housed, said that he felt relaxed after the court judgment. “It would have been better if they had opened the shops before December 20, We could have had Christmas, New Year and Pongal shoppers. This year has begun on a sour note,” he added.
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