BMP’s cobbler kiosks: Where cobblers are hard to find...

BMP’s cobbler kiosks: Where cobblers are hard to find...
Deccan Herald

Bangalore Mahanagara Palike’s plan to accommodate evicted cobblers in classy looking kiosks on the footpaths of prominent roads is in hibernation, thanks to a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) questioning the viability of .....

Bangalore Mahanagara Palike’s plan to accommodate evicted cobblers in classy looking kiosks on the footpaths of prominent roads is in hibernation, thanks to a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) questioning the viability of such an idea and the subsequent High Court orders.

Having installed some of the kiosks on prominent roads already, the BMP is now in a fix as to how it can appease the three parties involved – the cobblers, the private company which sponsored the kiosks, and the pedestrians.

And even as the legal tangle is being worked into a solution by the BMP, the kiosks, installed nearly a year ago, are gathering dust with none to use them. The BMP, under a package to rehabilitate 76 cobblers who were evicted from KG Road in November 2003, installed the kiosks at prominent places including MG Road, Richmond Road, Sankey Road and KG Road, Gandhinagar area. But till date, only a few cobblers, if any, have been seen at these high-profile kiosks. As such, they are being used for everything else but cobbling.

Take the MG Road kiosks for instance. There are four at short distances and a fifth one is likely to come up soon. If at times, the kiosks become petty shops, at others, they turn into a book shop. Sometimes, they are rest houses for a weary soul or even an arena for a game of dice.

Litigation

According to BMP Additional Commissioner Gaurav Gupta, the project was put on hold after a public interest litigation questioned the installation of kiosks on footpaths, thereby obstructing smooth pedestrian movement.

The Karnataka High Court too had taken an adverse note of the idea, Mr Gupta said.

Besides, the question of giving rights to the company which is sponsoring the kiosks too is being worked out, he added. So what’s the way forward then?

“We are trying to find an appropriate solution to the tangle. The idea is to arrive at a solution that is acceptable to all parties,” Mr Gupta said.

An attempt is also being made to locate the kiosks in such a manner that they don’t obstruct pedestrian movement, he added.

FACT BOX

*Each kiosk costs Rs 40,000

* Facility includes a tool box and granite seating

* Power supply free between 6 pm and 11 pm

* A total of 50 kiosks to be installed across City

* 17 along MG Road, Richmond Road, Residency Road; others in Gandhinagar-KG Road area