Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has chalked out ambitious plans to launch new projects and also transform existing commercial centres in the capital city.
While preparations have already started to set up a dedicated ‘Gupchup Bazaar’ in the city soon, steps are also being taken to transform the haat in Badagada area into a modern commercial centre.
Sources said the BMC has identified space in front of the Regional Institute of Education (RIE) for the proposed bazaar, which will be developed on the lines of a vending zone to provide an organised facility for gupchup vendors.
Beautification work has been initiated at the site with installation of decorative lighting. To begin with, around 30 to 40 gupchup vendors will be accommodated in the market. They will be provided with specially designed trolleys. The BMC has already completed the procurement of these trolleys. Vendors currently operating in areas such as Sahid Nagar, Nicco Park and nearby localities are likely to be shifted to the new market. More than 80 customised trolleys have been designed for the initiative.
Similarly, the civic body has initiated plans to redevelop the Badagada Haat into a modern, well-organised commercial complex. At the same time, steps will be taken to preserve the essence of the traditional haat that supports hundreds of small vendors and daily shoppers.
Tender has been floated to take up the redevelopment, which includes design, construction, and operation and maintenance of the facility for three years.
The project aims to transform the unplanned, overcrowded market into a cleaner, safer and more accessible urban marketplace without displacing livelihoods.
Officials said the proposed facility will integrate modern retail infrastructure with a dedicated traditional haat zone. Plans include a multi-storey market complex with organised shops, structured vending platforms for vegetable, fish and meat sellers, improved parking facilities, internal roads, pedestrian pathways and public amenities.
Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das said the idea is not to replace the haat but to upgrade it. Badagada Haat has long been an important livelihood centre and neighbourhood market. The redevelopment will ensure better hygiene, fire safety, drainage and traffic management while retaining space for traditional vendors, she said.
There will be proper waste disposal systems and CCTV-based surveillance to enhance safety and crowd management.
The redevelopment will help decongest surrounding roads, which often witness traffic congestion due to haphazard parking and encroachments, officials added.
