Falakata: Shops to be ‘allocated to 300 traders’

Alipurduar: A state-of-the-art market complex has been constructed in Falakata. The government is set to allocate stalls to 300 traders at the Falakata Market Complex before Durga Puja. Initially, the Alipurduar district administration stated that there was no precedent in the district’s history for allocating stalls to such a large number of traders simultaneously.

In 2020, as many as 300 traders were relocated to make way for a modern market complex in Falakata town. Former MLA Anil Adhikari envisioned a market complex where various types of traders could conduct business under one roof. In 2020, it was decided that the North Bengal Development Department (NBDD) would oversee the construction of the complex. Ultimately, the NBDD constructed this market complex at a cost of Rs 9.77 crore.

Initially it was discovered that the land on which the complex was built belonged to Alipurduar Zilla Parishad. A meeting between the Zilla Parishad and the district administration is scheduled to take place soon. Afterwards, the stalls will be formally allocated to the traders, who will pay a nominal lease fee. It is anticipated that most of the stalls will be operational before Durga Puja. The administration has already conducted several meetings with the local business community.

Many traders said that conducting trade under the open sky before 2020 was challenging. The new complex eliminates issues related to sun, storms and water. Within the market complex, a wide range of goods, from clothing, shoes, and bags to groceries, vegetables, paan, betel nuts, and more, will be available. It is expected that the businesses of these 300 traders will experience significant growth compared to their open-sky operations before 2020.

Falakata BDO Supratik Majumdar stated: “We have come a long way. All that remains now is for the complex to become operational. We will allocate the stalls to the traders before Durga Puja and hopefully, they will be able to commence their operations before the festival.”