By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The existing vegetable and fish market at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Square (NSCBS) in Jail Road will be relocated temporarily to the nearby Sadaya Charan Das Lane (SCDL) as a multi-storied market complex is all set to come up at the site of the existing market.
In order to pave the way for the construction of the market complex, small makeshift sheds are being constructed for the shop owners of the existing market to relocate their shop to the SCDL. But the relocation of the market to this new site means a number of trees that were planted by the Jail Road Welfare Committee (JRWC) in association with the authority under a beautification drive will be removed, as a couple of such sheds have already come up there.
There was a demand from JRWC in this regard to shift the market place to the Prakash Chandra Deb Lane (PCDL) – the lane that connects NSCBS with Polo – since it has requisite space and more so since it is only a temporary shifting but the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) and Urban Affairs Department (UAD) paid no heed to the concern of the JRWC and went on arbitrarily with the SCDL without even thinking that it would lead to utter chaos and jam due to the narrow width of this domestic lane.
An office bearer of the JRWC said that in a meeting held recently at the State Secretariat where the members of the JRWC along with officials of the SMB and UAD were also present.
“In the meeting everything was decided upon as to how the plan in the NSCBS will be carried out. It was more of a formality since none of our concern was looked into since we sought the shifting to the PCDL instead of SCDL,” said the JRWC office bearer who was present in the meeting.
He also said that JRWC has also sought for a written assurance for this temporary shifting from the UAD, which is learnt to be issued shortly after the UAD minister gives her signature in it.
The office bearer further said that after the construction of the temporary sheds, a joint inspection by the JRWC, SMB and UAD will be carried out on these sample shops. Local MLA, AL Hek in the General Body Meeting of the JRWC held recently, also stated that relocating the market temporarily to the SCDL is going to be a problem in the long run.
However, since the authority is hell bent on going ahead with the present site, the JRWC has requested the authority to delay the work till the upcoming Durga Puja celebration since the Jail Road Durga Puja is one of the biggest crowd pullers in the city.
“The Central Puja Committee (CPC) met the Urban Affairs Minister and requested to delay the work till the completion of the puja celebration to which they agreed,” said the JRWC official.
Although the residents and JRWC is not against the market complex since it will streamline the haphazardness in place now but it is learnt that the UAD has even turned down the request of the JRWC – which sought for a parking lot and a urinal at the basement of the market complex. “This is a good idea since NSCBS is an important thoroughfare for all the adjoining localities,” said a nearby resident.
Meanwhile, another problem in the area is the mess created owing to the ongoing laying of PHE water pipes. These water pipes are being laid starting from the Quinton Road up till the Traverse Lane covering NSCBS and other interior lanes.
“Look at the sight of the road near Bharat Sevashram where people cannot walk and on top of that two and four wheelers are running constantly. Why the authority can’t put a ‘no entry’ here?” lambasted this resident of the road.
The JRWC too have expressed their concern and feared utter chaos in case the roads are not topped before the puja.