BMP sets primer to revive old world charm of city markets

BMP sets primer to revive old world charm of city markets
Deccan Herald

The Sri Krishnaraja Market (City Market), the Russel Market or the Gandhi Bazaar are no longer the landmarks in the Mall city. But if the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) has its way, these markets will simply not get lost in history.

This year, the BMP has earmarked nothing less than Rs 3 crore to give a face-lift to the old markets. The primer to revive the Old World charm of the markets has already begun with the City Market (SKR Market) being freed of hawkers. Next in line is an elevator at the Jayanagar Shopping Complex and a deluge of renovation packages - from drinking water, toilet blocks, concrete pathways, painted walls, at all prominent markets including Public Utility building (MG Road), Russel Market, Johnson Market.

To accomplish the feat, the BMP is banking on a revenue target of Rs 40 crore this year. Last year, the BMP had a set target of Rs 10 crore, but managed to collect only Rs 8 crore as license fee. A major challenge faced by the cash-strapped BMP is the mounting arrears from its 6,500 licensees.

BMP sources claim that the pending bills of the government departments alone are a staggering Rs 3 lakh. The BMP seems to have evolved a remedy to tide over the crisis. “Intensifying revenue collection, streamlining of hawkers and most importantly, revision of license fee are the focus areas to augment revenue,” admit senior officials.

City market alone is infested with nearly 500-800 hawkers. By creating hawking zones, we can tap the huge potential for revenue from the hawkers in and around the market places. “As a rule, we should create hawking zones and collect Rs 1,800 each as annual sitting fee from hawkers. But before that, we need to work out the logistics with the traffic, garbage disposal and maintenance wing,” add officials.

A proposal awaiting a nod from the Council is the revision of license fee. The markets division of BMP owns and controls nearly 10 mega shopping complexes and markets (category A), which are subject to a hike of 25 per cent every three years. Similarly, the other shopping complexes witness a hike in license fee which varies from 5 to 20 per cent, every three years.

“The hike is inadequate to meet expenses owing to soaring costs of maintenance, fuel, equipment and labour. We need to augment revenue to upgrade commercial complexes in the city,” says a senior

official.