PUNE: Six months after a devastating fire broke out on March 14 in the British-era Shivaji Market in Pune Cantonment, gutting 17 fish and five poultry stalls, work on renovating the heritage structure is stuck for want of funds.
A cash-strapped Pune Cantonment Board has not been able raise sufficient funds to start the repairs, necessary for the safety of residents of Pune Cantonment who visit the market daily, and for the stall owners.
Pune Cantonment Board’s (PCB) chief executive officer Amit Kumar said that the total cost of the work was Rs2.5 crore, and they were unable to initiate the work because of paucity of funds.
“We are supposed to deposit Rs1.25 crore with the district administration to get the remaining funds of Rs 1.25 crore from it. However, we were unable to generate these funds. We had told all the vendors operating in the market to pay the pending rent charges worth Rs25 lakh, but they have failed to do so till date,” he said.
Pune Cantonment's MLA Sunil Kamble said that Rs 25 lakh from his MLA funds have been sent to the cantonment board recently.
“I have also conducted two meetings with vendors and the cantonment board authorities in the past. However, there is no progress on the project so far. I will conduct another meeting with them,” he added.
Kumar said they had received the funds from the MLA and were waiting for Rs25 lakh from the vendors. “ The board will deposit the remaining Rs75 lakh from its budget,” he added.
Manzur Shaikh, president of the traders’ association of the market, said that they had paid Rs23 lakh to the PCB, so far. “Many traders are facing problems in the market due to the pending repairs.
The Cantonment board must show more involvement in this project to complete at least the basic repairs at the earliest. Stall owners have been running their businesses in a poor condition from these stalls,” Shaikh said.
Shashikant Pardeshi, who runs a fish stall in the market, said he was now operating from the open areas because of the damage to the fish section.
“We have paid all rent dues to the cantonment board. The market is in a bad shape. It needs greater attention to get a basic working standard,” he said.
Regular visitors too said the cantonment board was not making enough efforts to spruce up the market. They said that the market was an unsafe place and needed a complete overhaul.
Samir Shaikh, a regular visitor to the market, said, “The board does not have any control over the market's daily functioning. There is no discipline among vendors operating at this place. They do not maintain hygiene. If we point it out it, they are rude,”
Netraprakash Bhog, lawyer and an old resident of the Pune Camp, said that the cantonment board is responsible for lowering the standards of this market.
He said, “Over the years, it has not paid enough attention to keep the market in a good condition. Once upon a time, the place was known for its cleanliness and architectural value. Now, it is unhygienic and chaotic.”
