The Hindu : New Delhi News : NDMC’s Janpath market project hits a roadblock

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 22, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

NDMC’s Janpath market project hits a roadblock

Manisha Jha

Old Mini Market Association flays the move to relocate shops

“Being shifted without taking us into confidence”
“No objections received from the traders’ side”

NEW DELHI: The New Delhi Municipal Council’s redevelopment plan for Janpath mini market has run into rough weather with the president of the Old Mini Market Janpath Association criticising the NDMC’s move to relocate the market without taking them into confidence. The decision to go ahead with the project was approved at the civic body’s monthly council meeting here this past week.

According to the plan, 57 shops -- including 37 belonging to old mini market, 20 belonging to new mini market -- and about 100 tehbazari thadas will be relocated to the parking lot between Jeevan Bharti Building and the present location of the mini market by constructing an underground parking for cars and scooters in the said parking lot and moving the shops on the roof of the entire underground parking. The present location of the mini market is on the stretch connecting Parliament Street and Janpath Road and is between Indian Oil Bhavan and Jeevan Bharti Building.

Said Sanjeev Bhasin, president Old Mini Market Janpath Association, said: “We had a meeting with the senior officers in charge of the project earlier this month however we were not shown any map of the project then and were reassured that the proposal would not be approved till its map is shown to us and we are in favour of it. However, in violation of this, the NDMC decided to table the proposal at the Council meeting on Wednesday and get the project approved.” “We were shown the map only after the Council meeting and on discussing it with other traders we have decided to protest against the relocation plan of our market,” he added.

According to Mr. Bhasin, the NDMC had finalised an earlier plan for Janpath mini market’s redevelopment which involved giving a facelift to the market without relocating it from its existing position.

However, that plan was aborted by the NDMC at the last stage without giving any explanation to the traders. “We have handed over several letters to NDMC officials seeking a written reply as to why the earlier plan was changed but we have not been given a proper answer so far,” he added.

However, when contacted, NDMC officials denied having made any earlier plan of redeveloping the market at its original position. Said an NDMC official: “We did try out different models on a hit and trial basis but no concrete plan of redeveloping the mini market at its existing position itself was finalised. Since the beginning itself the plan involved a relocation of mini market shops from their present positions.”

The NDMC also denied allegations of having kept the traders in the dark as alleged by Mr. Bhasin. Said the NDMC official: “We had shown the project map and model to the traders at the meeting scheduled with them earlier this month and had explained the project details to them and asked for their opinions on it. So far we have received no concrete objections from the traders’ side barring a few difference of opinions regarding additional facilities to be given to the relocated shops.”

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