The Hindu : New Delhi News : MCD to auction weekly bazaars

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 09, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

MCD to auction weekly bazaars

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, DEC. 8. In an effort to streamline the functioning of unauthorised weekly bazaars across the Capital, the Standing Committee of Municipal Corporation of Delhi today decided to hand over their management to private players.

Although on the face of it these bazaars would be auctioned to registered contractors and any other non-government organisation and the one offering maximum revenue would be handed over the task of its annual maintenance, the policy is expected to "streamline" the weekly bazaars by determining the market area and the maximum number of shopkeepers allowed to do business there.

A hit among residents of the area as it provides utility items at affordable rates, the weekly bazaar very often results in traffic jams and also creates a law and order problem to the residents of the area.

"Once the weekly bazaar is handled by an authorised person, self-help groups, resident welfare associations or non-government organisations, it would be very easy to organise them," officials said. Being run on the lines of rural "haat", the weekly bazaars have now become a part and parcel of Delhi's daily life. It also provides employment to hundreds of poor people, who do not have enough money to own shop or kiosks. "There's an urgent need to make these bazaars people-friendly. This is not the case at present," officials said. "A new policy with all features and basic specifications would soon be announced by MCD. We would be entering into a proper contract after auctioning these bazaars," they added.

As of now, there are as many as 223 authorised weekly bazaars across the Capital besides an equal number of unauthorised bazaars from where the civic body is unable to collect any revenue. The Congress Councillor from Badarpur, Hemchand Goel, said all the unauthorised weekly bazaars should also be brought under the new policy. The Standing Committee thereafter decided to conduct a survey to identify all such bazaars so that the civic body could generate revenue from these places.

Most of these are under the clutches of the mafia at present.

A recent survey revealed that this had resulted in revenue loss to the MCD as the Rs. 5 collected from each of these shopkeepers never reached its coffers.

"It is very necessary to streamline these bazaars," he said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi