KMC mulls revamp of Landsdowne market

kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is planning to take up modernisation of Landsdowne market in South Kolkata, which has been stuck for nearly three decades. Several issues, like lack of space for parking area, resistance from a section of traders and deaths of original owners have posed a barrier in the modernisation programme.

Sandip Ranjan Bakshi, who happens to be the local councilor and Member Mayor-in-Council (MMIC) of Lighting department of the civic body recently held a meeting with MMICs' Amiruddin Bobby (Market), Baishanor Chatterjee (Law), Avijit Mukerjee (Road) and Debasish Kumar (Parks & Gardens) to work out the modalities

"We will shift the stalls to a temporary place before beginning the modernisation work with the assurance that the legal traders will be relocated," Bakshi said.

Amiruddin Bobby accompanied by senior officials of his department visited the market some time back and apprised the stall owners of the modernisation plan.

There are 331 shops in the market but many of these will not come under the shift and rehabilitation model as the original owners of these stalls have died and there has been forcible or illegal occupying of that shop .

There are also issues of difference of opinion among heirs of the original owner. "We will iron out this issues soon by holding another meeting with stakeholders in the market premises. Mayor Firhad Hakim is also likely to be present in the meeting," Bakshi said.

KMC has given 18 months to the developer to wrap up construction of a portion so that traders can move in before the rest is developed.

The civic body had inked a public private partnership (PPP) agreement with a private company for the redevelopment of the market. According to plans, the eight storied building, to be built on 2.5 bigha plot, would accommodate around 350 traders on the first two floors. The rest of the space will be leased out to traders, who will set up stalls.