BRISK BUSINESS: Roadside book shops at Koti, which are open on Sundays. - Photo: D.Gopalakrishnan

HYDERABAD: While booksellers in Koti are not averse to shifting base to a nearby location in accordance with the High Court order and the MCH drive to move them, they will oppose all attempts to shift them to the subway near Andhra Bank.

"The subway is not an option because it won't give us the space we want and it is far too dingy a place. There are 104 stalls here and there is not enough space for all of us in the subway. And we cannot afford to be dispersed, as our business will take a big hit," says Praveen Kumar, one of the booksellers here. "We work together as a network. If I don't have a textbook, I can arrange for it from my neighbour and vice-versa," he explains.

Shifting soon

However, MCH Additional Commissioner, Estates and Electricity, Ravi Babu, asserts that there is enough space for them. "They don't have to keep their entire stock here, they can have them in their godowns." He adds that the MCH might move them to the subway within a week.

Booksellers contend that the ostensible reason for shifting them, namely the attendant traffic hazards are not really a concern. "We have been here for 30 years and have hardly been in the way of traffic here," says secretary of the Old and New Booksellers Association, Koti, Syed Sabar Hussain.

Parking will be a problem if we move shop to the subway. "Many customers who come here on vehicles find it convenient to halt for a while, make their enquiries and move on," says Mateen, another bookseller.

Problems galore

"Ten years back, there was a similar drive to evict us, and we stood ground against the MCH even then. Besides, we were not shown any alternative site. This time, we are willing to move, but not to the subway," Sabar Hussain says with the collective voice of the booksellers behind him.

Voicing other concerns, Sabar Hussain asks, "Lighting will be a huge problem in the subway. Besides, there is a drainage problem here and all the dirty water flows into the subway."

Ravi Babu, however, addresses this, "We are working to improve the maintenance of the subway, and we will set up one more pump to handle the drainage problem and improve the lighting." He adds that the MCH hopes to encourage more people to use the subway by moving booksellers here.

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