Fruit wholesalers to be shifted to old APMC

In what could be termed as an attempt to address many civic woes posing as hurdles in the development of roads and drains in the periphery of the historical Devaraja market in the city, the district administration has decided to shift 176 wholesale fruit vendors from the market to Old Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) at Subhash Chandra Bose Circle on New Sayyaj Rao road within one month.

Announcing this to the media here on Thursday, after inspecting Boti Bazaar road (Ane Sarot) behind  the market, Deputy Commissioner C Shikha said that the process of shifting the vendors will be taken up within one month. 

APMC Secretary Kuber Nayak who briefed the team of officials about the ongoing works at the market, said the works taken up at the estimated cost of Rs 97 lakh were nearing completion. The works include 130 auction platforms, 43 godowns including two in the cellar, toilets and other basic amenities.

Another official informed that when the applications were invited from the wholesale vendors in the year 2013, a total of 315 licence holders had evinced interest. However, only 176 vendors among them were considered on the basis of seniority.
Now, the wholesale fruit vendors are trading at the shops located outside Devaraja Market facing Boti Bazaar road.

Chamaraja MLA Vasu under whose constituency both the markets are located told the media the intended civil works would ensure hygiene in the vicinity, as the peripheral roads were turning into a slush whenever it rained. He blamed the health wing of MCC for the mess.

Reacting to media queries, Vasu said, “While the issue of illegal vendors at the market remains to be addressed, it is the primary duty of Mysore City Corporation (MCC) to initiate action against them.”

Lansdowne building

Mayor R Lingappa on Thursday said that the restoration works on Lansdowne building and Devaraja Market building will be taken up at the earliest.

Speaking to the media after inspecting the roads around the market, Lingappa said while Rs six crore has been set aside to restore Lansdowne building, in keeping with its heritage significance, another Rs 10 crore will be spent on Devaraja Market under the heritage component of the city corporation.

Apart from restoration of the structure, the roads inside Devaraja market will be concretised at an estimated cost of Rs one crore, followed by the concretisation of Boti Bazaar road, outside the market, at the cost of Rs one crore. The works on the further development of Dhanwantri road, earlier taken up at the estimated cost of Rs 90 lakh and pending between the petrol bunk junction to Dasappa Circle will also be taken up soon.