JOIN USMarket area in Chikkaballapur is a scene of chaos
The Market Road, one of the busiest ones, which passes through the market area, one of the lifelines of Chikkaballapur City, is a stretch of chaos and troubles.
Here, the footpaths are usurped by petty businessmen, kiosks, vendors who spread across their provisions, while individual traders who are trying to attract the attention of the customers selling petty items, honking four-wheelers and two-wheelers, who add to the prevailing chaos, lack of drainage, haphazardly placed stalls, are all picture-perfect images of confusion and unorganised market system.
The market area, located beside the famous Balamuri Ganapathi temple Circle, has been like this since ages. There has not been a slight change or improvement in the system prevailing there.
Thousands of appeals by the customers and traders have fallen on the deaf ears of the authorities, who have not bothered to organise the chaos here. Traders here have been selling their goods for the last several years.
Eke out their living
Farmers from the nearby villages also come here to earn their livelihood. Fruits, vegetables, flowers, groceries, stationary, name almost everything, they are available in this area.
The petty shopkeepers and roadside vendors mercilessly face the lashing rains or the increased mercury levels. They have neither shelter nor shade. The City Municipal Council is situated just a few yards away from the market and the CMC members do visit the market everyday. Yet they have turned a blind eye to the system prevailing in the market.
Footpaths usurped
While, the pedestrians find a tough time to cross the market area. All the footpaths are usurped by the roadside vendors. The vendors express their helpless that it is not their intention to create trouble to the passersby. But they do not have any other place to shift their business to. Though they pay an amount of Rs seven as tax everyday to the CMC, they do not have any shelter. Hundreds of traders have been facing this problem and have been trying to seek a permanent solution for this.
Taking pity on their condition, some of the CMC traders voluntarily collected money got sheds constructed for the benefit of these small time traders. But the sheds were not handed over to the CMC traders at the appropriate time and this was converted into a vehicle stand. Thus the area has now been converted into a parking lot.
According to CMC President B A Lokesh Kumar, the foundation stone for a new building for the traders had been laid some time back. It will be constructed soon. Once it is over, the traders and vendors can shift there. After that, priority will be given for cleanliness and hygiene in the market area, he added.
Highlights
* Fruits and vegetables are sold on footpaths
* A daily nightmare for the public
* Unfulfilled demands and false assurances
