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Bhubaneswar, Oct. 17: More than a month ago, Saheed Nagar Haat (daily market) was inaugurated with much fanfare but the project remains a non-starter because of the lack of basic facilities.
So far, only 47 of the 81 shops and 46 of the 218 platforms (pindis) have been allotted at the haat, which forms part of the BMC-Bhawani mall complex.
But the shop owners are unable to carry out business as the establishment are yet to be fitted with shutters, while power and water supply still remains unavailable at the complex.
Though the haat was inaugurated on August 31, construction of basic facilities such as toilets still remain incomplete.
Jyotish Das Nayak, working president of the Saheed Nagar Haat Traders’ Association said: “We are already in a financial mess as the allotment has been delayed for such a long time since their eviction from the old market in 2004. We have paid Rs 50,000 as deposit money for each shop and Rs 20,000 for platforms, if the process is further delayed our problem will aggravate as most of the traders had taken the money on high interest from lenders.’’
Blaming the Bhubaneswar Municpal Corporation ((BMC) for improper planning and neglecting the execution of the project, Das Nayak said: “The engineers of the corporation should have given a proper thought before implementing the project.’’
Local councilor of ward No. 30 Saswati Mishra said: “Apart from the lack basic amenities for traders, the market has no parking facility for businessmen as well as those visiting the facility. All land around the old Saheed Nagar Haat has been consumed by the mall so there is no space left.’’ Mishra said that when the traders had raised the issue of parking lot with BMC officials, they suggested use of the area in front of the BMC-Bhawani Mall near the Housing Board Colony for the purpose.
However, the residents of the colony raised an abjection and went to the Odisha State Housing Board (OSHB) against the proposal.
Additional commissioner of the BMC Krushna Prasad Pati told The Telegraph: “We have approached the OSHB and they have said that the land did not belong to the colony residents and it could be used for parking vehicles for those visiting the market and doing business there..’’
If this was not enough trouble for the BMC, a section of traders have raised their voices against the allotment process.
“I have a strong suspicion that the BMC officials are not allotting all shops to the displaced traders. My father had a shop in the old market, but in the BMC list his name is missing,’’ said BMC councillor from ward No. 31 Kumarendra Mohapatra.
Mohapatra, however, said that the old list of beneficiaries of the market was not available with the officials of the corporation.
Sanjay Jena, another aggrieved trader, said: “My uncle had a shop in the old market, but his name doesn’t figure in the list of beneficiaries.’’
Asked about the allegations levelled against the BMC, mayor Ananta Narayan Jena said: “We were directed by Orissa High Court to follow certain guidelines in the allotment of shops and platforms in the market. We have only adhered to the direction. The next allotment of the shops and platforms will be done within the next 15 to 20 days.’’
BMC sources said the Saheed Nagar Haat was inaugurated on August 31, 1967, to facilitate farmers on the city outskirts to sale their products and in September 1, 1971, the land was transferred from the general administration department to the BMC, which was then a notified area council. However in 2004, shop owners were evicted for construction of the mall that was inaugurated in 2012.
