Sandeep Rana
Chandigarh, December 4
The Municipal Corporation (MC) has proposed to renovate the dilapidated AC Fish and Meat Market in Sector 41 here. The MC House will take a call on the proposal.
Besides, the enforcement as well as the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) wings have been asked to remove all illegal meat and fish vendors sitting outside the market. Along with this, certain guidelines have been proposed to be changed.
The development comes in the wake of a report published in Chandigarh Tribune last month.
MC Commissioner Anindita Mitra has asked Chief Engineer NP Sharma to renovate the fish market and float a tender for the work of keeping the premises clean. The MOH and enforcement wings have been asked to identify, list and remove all unauthorised fish and meat vendors operating from outside the market. These illegal vendors have often been blamed for most of the shops lying vacant on the market premises.
The civic body had rented out 33 booths in an open auction in August 2020. Now, 26 of these have been surrendered by the allottees who claimed that there was no sale in the market and they found it difficult to the pay the rent.
The corporation is incurring losses due to surrendering of these booths. On the other hand, illegal fish and meat vendors are doing brisk business in different parts of the city.
The Sector 41 market is ridden with stench of sewage, strewn garbage, dumped debris and wild overgrowth. There is seepage in the entire building. Toilets are not in a usable condition. Windows, doors and ACs have been damaged as booths have remained unoccupied and no maintenance work has been carried out there for years.
Constructed by the UT Administration at a cost of around Rs 5 crore in 2006 and handed over to the civic body for operations in 2009, the facility is lying deserted.
Built in 2006 at cost of Rs 5 crore
UT Administration built the market in 2006 at a cost of Rs 5 croreAdmn handed over its operations to the MC in 2009Civic body allots 33 booths in open auction in August, 2020However, 26 booths have already been surrendered
