Situated in the heart of the city, an ambitious project that aimed to combine women’s empowerment with a unique shopping experience lies in shambles.
The North Delhi Municipal Corporation’s Mahila Haat on top of the Asaf Ali Road parking, just opposite G.B. Pant Hospital, was meant to provide cheap and centrally located retail spaces to women artisans and entrepreneurs. But, a year-and-a-half after it was inaugurated amid much celebration, the space is in a mess.
To begin with, finding the Mahila Haat is a task in itself. After asking around, visitors are dissuaded by hawkers and parking attendants in the vicinity. “Why do you want to go to that ‘khandhar’ (ruin)? There are only dogs roaming around there,” said a parking attendant when The Hindu visited on Thursday.
The approach to the Haat is unmarked and crowded by small dhabas, with employees and patrons passing comments at women going by. Instead of women’s empowerment, the Mahila Haat’s have ended up causing harassment.
The space has 55 stalls, two canteens, a performance stage and even a small garden. Under the blazing sun, there were no visitors on Thursday afternoon, just a handful of stall owners whiling away their time.
“What kind of a design is this? It provides no protection from the sun, the rain or the cold. I don’t know what the Engineering Department was thinking,” said Mukesh Goel, the Leader of the Opposition of the NDMC.
The erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s Engineering Department had built the space at a cost of Rs.2.20 crore. But, by the time it was inaugurated in November 2012, the MCD had been trifurcated. Now, this Haat comes under the North Corporation.
Mr. Goel had raised the issue in the Standing Committee meeting on Wednesday through a short-notice query. According to answers provided by the Community Services wing, of the 55 stalls only 20 had been allotted in March 2014. While that may be the case on paper, in reality not more than 10 stalls are currently occupied.
The corporation had spent Rs.8.03 lakh on the Haat’s maintenance from its inception till March 31, 2014. In return, the earnings in the same period were Rs.5.61 lakh.
The Leader of the House, Mira Aggarwal, admitted the Mahila Haat project was a failure. “The Haat was never meant for revenue generation, it was to empower women. We need to take a relook at the project because women artisans have stopped coming,” she said. She was referring to the statistic that in the first four months, all 55 stalls in the Haat were occupied. The occupancy in the first three months of this year has hovered in the twenties.
For this, Mr. Goel blamed the ruling BJP. “They announce these projects with such fanfare, but then they can’t deliver,” he alleged.
