Malleswaram merchants oppose new market

Malleswaram merchants oppose new market
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: Malleswaram New Market (fruits, vegetables and flowers) Merchants Association has condemned the move of the State Government to demolish the existing market to build the new one, without consulting them.

Recently, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had announced that a new market would be built in Malleswaram over the existing wholesale market. Secretary of Association B S Natraj said that the State government has betrayed the merchants by not consulting them before the announcement of demolition of the market.

‘‘Presently, over 300 shops operate in 40-year-old market and we have been paying the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) regularly. In spite of that no adequate facilities have been provided to the merchants here,’’ he said.

He said that a case against the BMP has been filed in the High Court of Karnataka for increasing the monthly rent in 1998. Even when the case is pending in the court, we have paid nearly Rs 5 lakh till now to the BMP,’’ Nataraj said.

‘‘The BMP have constructed 14 shops on the roadside of the main market which are not allotted to anybody. The place is now used as urinals and lavatory. The foul smell emanating has become a nuisance for vendors and consumers. There are no basic facilities including drinking water, toilets and electricity in the market,’’ he added.

The present market was facing shortage of visitors as many shops were pitched on the footpath after Malleswaram Circle till the vegetable market. Residents from Sadashivnagar, Yeshawantapur, Jayanagar, Rajajinagar, Vasanthanagar and surrounding areas are dependent on the Malleswaram market.