Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, August 9: Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) plan for constructing a new market building in the city has remained a non-starter for the last three years ever since the announcement of the plan.
The municipal body was reportedly planning to construct a new market building since 2012, where it was planning to shift the existing Unit-I market.
The plan was to start construction on a plot of 3.8 acres of government land allotted by the general administration department after demolishing about 49 old government quarters near the existing market, said BMC sources.
The officials have however demolished only 14 buildings so far and have not taken any steps to construct a boundary wall in the allotted area, alleged Unit-I market association general secretary Gayadhar Swain.
The market has been facing severe space constraints and merchants have been facing difficulties related to parking and sanitation due to the apathy of municipal authorities, Swain added.
BMC finance and accounts committee chairman and corporator of Ward 28, Sheikh Nizamuddin, accepted the fact that parking of vehicles was indeed a major problem for the public, as all the roads around the market area were clogged with vendors and pedestrians.
Market association vice–president Brajabandhu Narendra said vendors as well as the public are enduring a lot of trouble due to the parking and sanitation problems.
Narendra said customers were beginning to steer clear of the market altogether so as to avoid the unhygienic conditions prevailing in the area.
Authorities have not initiated any step to address the issue and are only delaying the implementation of the proposed project, Narendra alleged.
Rabi Sahoo, a frequent visitor, said he did not rule out the chances of a stampede or fire in the area, saying authorities were not even prepared to face such an emergency situation.
When contacted, Nizamuddin said BMC would start construction soon, and a preliminary survey would be completed in three months to find out all existing vendors who would be given shops in the new building.