BTC project: 129 licensees of Ashoka Market allotted temporary shops across city

Bhubaneswar: As many as 129 licensees or shop owners of Ashoka Market were allotted shops at different locations across the city to pave the way for the Bhubaneswar Town Centre (BTC) project.

The shops were allotted through lottery conducted on the premises of Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA).

They will be accommodated temporarily at Chandralok Market Complex, Niladri Vihar, Ananta Vihar Market Complex, Pokhariput, Samanta Vihar Market Complex near Kalinga Hospital Square, Kalinga Nagar Market Complex (two locations in K-7 and one in K-8 of Kalinga Nagar), Indradahnu Market Complex, Nayapalli and Surya Kiran Market Complex in Sahid Nagar.

The shop owners now have to vacate the complex within 15 days starting today so that work on the project can start immediately. Singapore-based Surbana Jurong Consultants will design the ambitious BTC project.

It may be mentioned here that the licensees had filed cases in the Orissa High Court after receiving a public notice and individual notices. However, the court ruled in favour of the BDA and directed the licensees to shift their shops to the new locations allotted by the development authority within two weeks time to facilitate construction at the BTC site.

The court also ruled that the licensees will be allotted shops in the new complex to be set up at BTC on a priority basis, but this would be subjected to conditions laid by the developing authority.

Member (Enforcement) and Additional Commissioner BDA, Bhabani Shankar Chayani said, “We have allotted 129 shops at eight different locations to shop owners of Ashoka Market through lottery system and they are required to vacate the complex within 15 days as per the court’s order. At the end of the stipulated time period, the Enforcement Wing would take action to vacate the complex.’’

Vacating the Ashoka Market Building is vital for starting the BTC project as the complex is within the land around the railway station where the majestic structure and the multi-modal hub would come up, said BDA Allotment Officer (II) Diganta Routrai.

On September 26, Singapore-based Surbana Jurong won the bid to design the ambitious project, which is going to be the first such transit-oriented development (TOD) project in the country. The innovative design alone will cost over Rs 8.5 crore.

The project is being developed by BDA on around 12 acre. As the project site shares space with the city’s main railway station within the Bhubaneswar Town Centre Smart District, both East Coast Railways and Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited are important stakeholders and will be involved and consulted throughout the course of this project implementation, official sources said.