BHUBANESWAR: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) is planning to set up a modern business cluster for wholesalers of vegetables at Bhagabanpur in Patrapada of the city. The project will be taken up in collaboration with Infrastructure Leasing and Finance Services (ILFS) to cater to vegetable merchants in and around the Capital City.
The current vegetable market at Unit-I Haat is creating not only congestion but also polluting the surrounding due to lack of waste management system.
The General Administration (GA) Department has allotted more than nine acres of land beside NH-16 for the project. Sources said the infrastructure development company has submitted an inception report in this regard and the civic body approved the presentation on Friday.
In the cluster, there will be more than 100 shop-cum-depot along with waste management system coupled with sufficient parking, well-designed internal roads, water supply, parking and other facilities.
The area will have a parking space for 32 trucks for wholesale traders while the visitors’ parking area will accommodate at least 53 vehicles. The cluster will be well connected to a road network. Separate space for utility and emergency services at the entry gate of the market will also be developed.
Besides, there will be a provision of a dry storage facility of 1,500 to 2,000 tonne in the cluster. “Restroom for 100 labourers, provision for market committee, BMC office and public toilet will be set up. While the market can accommodate around 2,500 people, there will be outlets for both wholesale and retail traders,” said Mayor AN Jena.
However, the final discussion on the project will be held on Wednesday following which the proposal will be sent to the State Government for approval.
Municipal Commissioner Dr Krishan Kumar, Additional Commissioner Alok Kumar Kar, City Engineer Dwipayana Patnaik and senior officers from ILFS Sushant Singh and Pushpamitra Sahu were present at the meeting.