Closure of road puts traders in a bind

Closure of road puts traders in a bind
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: The road works taken up be the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) in the busy Chickpet area seem to have come at a wrong time for the traders. On Tuesday, traffic was not allowed on the Chikpet main road and traders were asked to pull shutters down.

As the Varamahalakshmi season is a peak time for jewellery and garment traders, many of them were sore with the BMP.

"It is an auspicious occasion for purchase of gold ornaments and garments. The BMP closed the entire road during the day-time and customers did not get an opportunity to visit their favourite shops," said a trader in the locality.

BMP chief engineer (West) Sathyanarayana said that the civic body had started road repair, but claimed that he had not ordered that work to be taken up in the day. "The civic body does not take up such works in the day. Normally the work has to be carried out in the night," he said.

With just three days to go for Varamahalakshmi celebrations, BMP’s action has drawn much ire from the traders.