Burdwan: Efforts on to make Mishti Hub fully functional

kolkata: The East Burdwan district administration has again initiated the process of making the Mishti Hub at Burdwan fully functional from this ongoing month. Majority of the shops in the hub have remained closed.

"We have sought an explanation from the businessmen on the closure of their shops in the 'Mishti Hub'. They have been asked to appear for a meeting on August 16. If they are unwilling to open shops in the Mishti Hub, the shops will be handed over to the Self Help Groups so that they can run the same," a senior official of the district administration said.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee while chairing an administrative review meeting in late April had expressed her displeasure regarding the closure of the 'Mishti Hub' and had asked the district administration to initiate measures for opening it up. Following this District Magistrate Priyanka Singla chaired a meeting with the stakeholders where the proposal of running the confectioners hub located at Bamchandaipur locality beside National Highway 2 with SHGs was also discussed. Though initially the stakeholders had agreed to open up the hub but only 5 shops had opened.

Banerjee in April 2017 had inaugurated Misti Hub virtually from Asansol Police Line where Burdwan district was officially bifurcated into East and West.

However, sometime after commencement, the hub ran into rough weather and the businessmen gradually downed shutters citing low sales in the hub. There are 10 shops on the ground floor and another 15 on the first floor which were closed down.

A section of stakeholders claimed that buses were not stopping at the hub so they are not getting customers. "The administration had assured us that buses will stop here but they are not," one of the businessmen pointed out.

A representative from Sitabhog – Mihidana Traders Association said that they are ready to open the shops but measures should be taken so that they do not suffer losses.