The walls of the market complex have cracked, leaving iron rods visible. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Oct. 27: Apathy on part of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has left a 25-year-old market complex near Lingaraj temple in dire straits. About 100 shops at the market are in urgent need of repair.

Outer walls of the Lingaraj market complex have cracked, leaving iron rods of construction visible. Similarly, the market’s fencing has collapsed at some places, raising chances of untoward incidents at any moment. Plants have also started sprouting from the walls of its building.

There is no gate at the entry to the market, which has made it a temporary resting place for animals. Cowdung is scattered all over making it a stinky place for customers.

The market building was inaugurated on the occasion of Local Self-Government Day on August 31, 1986. At that time, an overhead tank and a swamp were built to meet the sanitation requirements of the market complex. But, the water tank has been dysfunctional for a long time now.

Some portions of the market’s roofs have fallen in the past. Fortunately, nobody has ever been injured. Absence of proper lighting system has made its interiors dark even at daytime.

Anup Mohapatra, secretary of Puruna Bhubaneswar Byabasayi Sangha, said the municipal authorities regularly collected tax from the shopowners. But when it came to maintenance, the civic authorities never took any step.

“We had approached the authorities several times with requests to repair the market. But they have maintained silence over its renovation. That they do not want the market to be functioning smoothly can be understood from the fact that the toilets have remained locked since the day of inauguration because of its defunct water tank,” he said.

The shopowners also alleged that despite the authorities having declared the market complex as unsafe, the corporation was collecting tax from the shops and not a single penny had ever been spent for renovation.

“Instead of depending on the authorities, the shopowners are repairing the market on their own. If the authorities are not ready to facilitate the repair work, why are they collecting tax from us?” asked Ratikanta Mahasuara, treasurer of the market’s shopowners’ association.

Municipal authorities, however, said the market complex had been declared unsafe. “As the complex comes under heritage zone, it will be demolished after consultation with the tourism department,” said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.