Karnataka - Bijapur   

Old mutton market demolished

Staff Correspondent

New market complex with 52 stalls to be built in nine months A new market complex will be built in nine months

LONG OVERDUE: The old mutton market building being demolished in Bijapur on Wednesday

BIJAPUR: After much dilly-dallying, the municipal authorities razed the old mutton market near Gandhi Chowk here amid tight security on Wednesday.

The demolition squad equipped with two earthmovers began work at around 7 a.m., and by 3 p.m., all structures were flattened. The resistance by meat vendors was not much as was the case in the past thanks to the presence of police. According to Assistant Executive Engineer of the municipality, S.S. Heralgi, the place would be cleared within two days, and handed over to Land Army Corporation for the construction of new market having 52 stalls.

Construction would start within a week and the agency had been asked to accomplish the task in nine months. The cost of the project is Rs. 43 lakh, he told The Hindu.

The authorities had been contemplating the demolition for the last two years but could not carry out the work owing to opposition from vendors and also legal hurdle. The place had been stinking owing to dumping of meat waste. This had led to complaints from consumers and the general public.

Around 40 meat vendors, who had been in the business, were apprehensive whether all of them would be allotted stalls in the new complex. Vendors would have to pay deposits ranging between Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 1 lakh for new stalls. Besides, their business would be hampered till the completion of new market.

Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Mohsin said the new complex should not be used for slaughtering. Meat should be brought from slaughterhouses on city outskirts and stalls should be used only as marketing outlet. The meat should not be hung in front of stalls, instead should be kept in cold storage.

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Old mutton market demolished

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