‘KMC wishes to rebuild Park Circus Market’

‘Traders have been asked to shift temporarily’

KOLKATA: An apparent tussle has ensued between the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and the shopkeepers of Park Circus Market as the civic body has asked them to shift to the nearby Park Circus Maidan during the time the market undergoes a full-scale renovation.

The market, which is under the KMC, is set to undergo an overhaul. For this reason, the civic body is learnt to have asked the shopkeepers to shift their business to the nearby Park Circus Maidan. But, the traders have objected to such a shift as they claim that in doing so their business will be affected.

KMC sources said that the civic body wishes to rebuild the entire market and for which they require the shopkeepers to move out temporarily till the work is completed.

However, the source could not specify an exact time by which the market could be completed.

The union of the shopkeepers in the market said that although they are not against any development work, it also needs to be taken into consideration by the KMC that once they shift elsewhere their businesses will take a toll.

They are of the opinion that the civic body should instead take up the work phase-wise. The union of shopkeepers have also demanded the intervention of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in this matter. According to their argument, earlier there was an alleged attempt by the Left Front government to sell off the market to a private business group but Mamata, who was an MP then, had staged a protest against shifting the shopkeepers elsewhere.

The shopkeepers have alleged that they are being requested verbally to shift elsewhere during the time the work continues.

They also alleged that they tried to convince the Member Mayor-in-Council of the Market department of KMC, Amiruddin Bobby who allegedly has also asked them to move out for the time being.

Sources at the office of the Mayor said that the decision of the KMC is final in the matter.

“The shopkeepers are worrying unnecessarily. They can shift back once the work is completed and which will also benefit them in the near future”, said the source.

‘The shopkeepers are worrying unnecessarily. They can shift back once the work is completed...’