SHILLONG: Two important local markets in Shillong, one on Jail Road and the other in Laitumkhrah, are in dire need of renovation.
The evening market on Jail Road is over 50 years old and shows signs of age. It was expanded and a shade was put about three years ago but it is in need of a facelift.
The market, which opens in the morning on designated days due to the lockdown and curfew, has municipal stalls selling meat, fish and vegetables.
Now, only 10-15 per cent of the shops remain open. “When the Marriott hotel was coming up then there were talks of dismantling the market but people of the locality had resisted,” said Raghu Banik, a resident of Jail Road.
The market sits on one of the busiest parts of the city and regular days, the crowd is humongous. Lack of hygiene is also a problem. On Tuesday, rotten and discarded vegetables were seen on the main road.
In Laitumkhrah, the decrepit market complex poses danger to both sellers and buyers. Chunks of concrete hang precariously and iron rods jut out in several places.
A few years ago, a concrete chunk had come off injuring one person. But there is no sign of renovation or even patchwork. The market is congested even in the time of lockdown and curfew.
An official of the Shillong Municipal Board said there is no immediate plan to renovate the Jail Road market but for the Laitumkhrah market, work was about to start when the pandemic started.
There was a process to prepare the work order for the contractors but it was stalled due to the pandemic.
“It all depends on the situation though offices have started to function and the process to look into the activities of the Laitumkhrah market will continue,” the official said.
The municipal board has a bid document on the construction and re-development of Laitumkhrah municipal market dated March 5, 2019.