Unit II Market Building In Bhubaneswar Closed For 10 Days: BMC Commissioner Seeks 4 Days To Resolve Issue

Bhubaneswar: With the market building at Unit II in Bhubaneswar remaining closed for 10th day in a row on Thursday due to the stand-off between shop owners and street vendors, BMC commissioner has sought 3-4 days’ time to resolve the issue.

According to sources, the core committee members of the Central Market Traders’ Association (CMTA) held a meeting with Vijay Amruta Kulange, Commissioner of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) regarding their demands related to problems posed by the street vendors.

The CMTA members pointed out that the BMC had signed an agreement with the association on development of the market complex in 2010. As per agreement, which was in force for 10 years, the BMC and CMTA jointly took up the development work.

During these 10 years, there was no problem of street vendors. The issue cropped up after the agreement expired in 2020 and the BMC did not renew the agreement. Taking advantage of it, the street vendors opened their shopsin the complex area, the owners of permanent shops in the complex said.

Stating that he was not aware of the agreement, Kulange sought 3-4 days to resolve the dispute, the sources said.

Meanwhile, the street vendors, in a letter to the BMC, stated that the municipal authorities had registered 80 of them after due process of identification. The MC had also allowed them to continue their business till their rehabilitation.

Now that the BMC was planning to remove them from the market building, they demanded that they should be provided a rehabilitation package before replacing them.