BHUBANESWAR: Traders and vendors of Unit-I market on Friday announced to down their shutters for the next four days alleging large-scale encroachment and poor civic amenities in the biggest market of the state capital.
The Rajadhani Dainik Haat Byabasai Sangha gave a memorandum to municipal commissioner Vijay Amruta Kulange in this regard and said they will keep the shutters of their shops down till Tuesday and wait for Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC’s) response to decide the next course of action. Sangha president Gayadhar Swain said making the roads, drains and parking spaces around the market encroachment-free and making adequate provision of parking to reduce traffic jam and facilitate easy accessibility to the customers; providing adequate street lights, drinking water facility and urinals inside the market and banning unauthorised wholesale business of vegetable and entry of heavy vehicles in the market are the major demands.
Assistant secretary Bishnu Charan Sahoo alleged despite paying lakhs of rupees as tax to the civic body, traders and vendors in the market are deprived of basic civic amenities. While open urination is rampant in the absence of adequate urinals, the market lacks street light and sanitation. The members alleged though the entrance facing the main road was closed, vending zones were created at the same place making it inconvenient for the consumers to visit the market.
As per Sangha representatives, around 1,400 shops in the market will remain shut for the next four days as part of the protest. The vegetable market in the area, however, will remain open during the period.