The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) handed over compensation forms to the traders of fire-ravaged Orphangunge Market in Kidderpore on Tuesday.
A fire broke out at the market in Kidderpore early on Monday, gutting hundreds of shops.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee visited the market on Monday and announced compensation of ₹1 lakh for traders whose shops were destroyed, and ₹50,000 for those whose shops were partially damaged.
The civic body will survey and enlist traders and shop owners in the market. The South 24-Parganas district administration was the custodian of the market before the market was handed over to the KMC in 2022.
The survey is essential to provide temporary rehabilitation to traders and shop owners for the construction of a new market building in place of the old market building, parts of which have been reduced to ashes.
KMC officials, officers of Kolkata Police and the chairperson of the KMC’s Borough IX held a meeting with traders on Tuesday afternoon.
“We gave them forms and explained how they must apply for the compensation. The traders have sought two to three days. We are hoping they will submit the applications by the end of the week. Once the applications for compensation are submitted, we will be able to know the exact number of shops that were damaged in the fire,” said Debalina Biswas, the chairperson of KMC’s Borough IX, who chaired Tuesday’s meeting with the traders.
A senior official of the civic body said there were about 700 shops in the market. A visit to the market on Tuesday showed that many shops were untouched by the fire.
“Primarily, the sections selling oil, butter and cereals were badly affected. Some stores around them were also affected,” a KMC source said.
The affected stores were reduced to ashes. The steel frames got twisted and mangled in the heat. The products were damaged beyond recognition.
On Tuesday, many traders around the affected zone were busy salvaging products not impacted by the fire.
During her visit to Orphangunge Market on Monday, Mamata said that the market would be temporarily relocated to another site.
“A detailed survey will be conducted to determine how many shops were destroyed and what caused the fire. A detailed investigation will be carried out... The market will have to be shifted for the time being. The councillor and the mayor have identified a place not far from here,” Mamata said.
There were pockets of fire still burning at the market on Tuesday, which prevented a forensic team from completing its examination of the place, a police officer said.
“A forensic team came to the spot, but they could not complete their task. The cooling off is still going on. Once the place cools down, the forensic team will revisit the market to examine it and collect samples. It is only then that the cleaning of the gutted portions of the market can start,” said the officer.
On Tuesday, there was a huddle of traders in the market association’s office.
Sajjan Agarwal, the president of Orphangunge Market Babosayee Samity, said the association has asked traders to keep the documents that can establish their identity as traders of Orphangunge Market ready.
“The problem is some of them have lost the documents in the fire,” said a trader. Leader of the Opposition at the state Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, also visited the market on Tuesday.