BENGALURU: The eviction drive held recently by the civic agency against unauthorised shops at KR Market has put many traders on tenterhooks. Anxious about whether a similar move could be made against them suddenly, the roadside vendors at K R Puram market are now making renewed demands for the new shopping complex that was promised to them last year.
The market, running under an old bus stand which is now used as a shed for shopkeepers, was supposed to make way for a new building to be constructed by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA). Many vendors operating unauthorised stalls, who have been working here for as long as 30 years, are raising concerns about their uncertain future, and when the complex will come up finally.
“Officials have been promising a new complex for two years. But nothing has come out of it so far. We hope that BDA completes the project before we get evicted too,” said Pradeep S, a flower vendor who has been doing business at the spot for 21 years.
“We took up the project last month from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). A demolition drive to bring down the old structure was approved and was supposed to be conducted last month, but it was postponed due to some complications,” BDA Commissioner Rakesh Singh said.
The demolition could not be carried out due to some electric wiring around the old structure, said B A Shivananda, engineer officer, BDA.
“We had taken up the matter with BESCOM but we had to shift the wiring ourselves. Now we are discussing with the contractors about when they can start and complete the work,” Shivananda added.
Vendors like Salman, a vegetable seller, cannot wait to shift to a permanent spot. “We don’t have any other place to go to. This complex will be a huge boon to all the traders here. It will give us some assurance that we won’t be shooed away,” he said.