BHOPAL: First block of New Market redevelopment project was inaugurated on Wednesday by urban development minister of the state, Bhupendra Singh. This redensification of New Market would eliminate small vendors, fruit sellers and other establishments, apprehend regular customers of the market place. They claim, the redevelopment project under smart city development threatens to change the nature of the only planned BMC market place in the state capital.
“Until a few years ago, there were dedicated lanes for fruits and vegetables sellers. The market was well organised and shopping was hasslefree,” said Rekha, a regular here. Another regular to the market, Kanti Devi, expressed apprehension over the fate of smaller shop keepers. “Bhopal Municipal Corporation leases the shop to influential traders; they sublet it to others. Its unlikely a small shopkeeper can afford the rent in new building,” she said. New Market was developed in the 1970s with a design that was considered well ahead of its time. It came about during the time of late MN Buch, a Padma Bhushan awardee urban planner of MP. Commercial interests have taken precedence over citizen needs, said a trader, seeking anonymity. BMC owns majority of the 160 odd shops in the market, which are leased out.
“BMC should lease the shop and ensure that vegetable market and other small traders can sustain. The market is planned in a way to accommodate all businesses. Arbitrary leasing by BMC and not in keeping with market’s original structure and design will hurt small business,” he added. “Vegetable and fruit sellers are needed. If they do not get space in the market, they will occupy the streets in the outer periphery,” he added. BMC zone official, when contacted, did not respond.
