The city’s first dedicated multi-storeyed wholesale flower market is all set to kickstart soon with the DDA and the Delhi government agreeing on the rent for the project land in Ghazipur.
The DDA, which was seeking Rs 14 crore as ground rent for the land, has finally agreed to settle between Rs 2-3 crore after “much reluctance,” Brahm Yadav, chairman of Delhi Agricultural Marketing Board, said.
“Final approval in this regard will be given soon by the Authority in its meeting, paving way for construction of the six-storeyed air-conditioned building at Ghazipur for flower market,” he said.
Ground rent is the charge that the land owning agency collects from the purchaser till the start of construction.
The Rs 161 crore project initiated at the direction of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit two years back had got the environment nod too last week.
Mr. Yadav said once the building is complete, shopekeepers operating from the unorganised markets at Fatehpuri, Mehrauli and Connaught Place will be asked to shift.
“They have been given license and have agreed to move.
Delhi being the hub of the flower traffic there was an urgent need to streamline the business,” the Chairman added.
At present, over 80 per cent of the flowers that arrive in Delhi are sold locally while 15 per cent are sent to Punjab, Haryana and Himachal and the remaining five per cent are exported.
The market at Ghazipur will have cold storage, sampling and grading besides display facilities and as it will be located at the national highway, the traders can expect better transportation facilities.
The trade in the flower market is expected to grow to the tune of Rs 150 crore once these facilities are provided.
