The merchant community in Aluva is up in arms against the inordinate delay in the construction of the municipal market nearly seven years after the existing market was demolished by the previous municipal governing committee.
With majority of the displaced merchants continuing to ply their trade from makeshift shacks and stalls, the merchants are planning to stage a protest in front of the municipal office on September 24, demanding the construction of the market without further delay.
“When the existing market was pulled down in 2013, we were promised a new one in its place in eight months. Even seven years after collecting lakhs of rupees in advance from us, we are still languishing in temporary stalls, which have driven away many of our customers,” said Nazir Babu, president of the Aluva Merchants Association.
Meanwhile, the design of the proposed new market has been a bone of contention, with some Independent councillors along with a BJP councillor questioning the three-storied plan at an estimated cost of nearly ₹10 crore.
Sebi V. Bastin, one of the Independent councillors, alleged that it was a wasteful design that would land the municipal body in a debt trap. “A single storied building that will cost over ₹3 crore is a more feasible plan. The traders were on a paltry rent of ₹600 at the time of their displacement and even after discounting for a steep hike in rent to ₹6,000, the municipal body will still not be able to make up for the gap in investments and income. Also, how is it even possible to execute the project with the same estimated cost worked out seven years back?” he said.
Municipal chairperson Lissy Abraham, however, said a change in plan was not possible and attributed the delay in the construction of the market to a variety of reasons, ranging from government apathy to local body and Assembly polls to the pandemic.
“Initially, the plan was to take a loan from Federal Bank against the municipal town hall but some elements threw a spanner in the works and then we tried to pledge the municipal park. But the bank turned that proposal down, citing change in conditions by the Reserve Bank of India,” she said.
Now, the municipality plans to take ₹5 crore from the Kerala Urban and Rural Development Finance Corporation and to fall back on the local MLA’s contribution of ₹1 crore for the rest. The municipal body hopes to start the piling work by November if the COVID-19 curve flattens by then.
