The work on the long-delayed new building of the Malleswaram market behind the existing market on the Sampige main road in West Bengaluru has finally gained momentum with the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) promising to make the new building operation by December 2022. BDA had taken over the task of building the market complex on the land belonging to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
Working on the project for almost four years, the inordinate delay by the BDA in the completion of the project not only affected the livelihood of the traders dependent on the market but also escalated the cost of construction considerably. Recently, Higher education minister Dr CN Ashwatha Narayana had also visited the under-construction building and sought quick action from the BDA officials.
BDA Chairperson SR Vishwanath along with BDA Commissioner Rajesh Gowda visited the construction site on Saturday and instructed the contractors to speed up the work. "Already there has been a considerable delay in the completion of the project and there is no point in further delaying it," he instructed the contractors and engineers.
The work on the 181- shops 5+2 floor market complex is expected to be completed by the end of December 2022 and subsequently, it will be handed over to the BBMP. "The two floors at the basement will be used as parking for the public and visitors. While the ground floor has 181 shops facilitating the flower and fruit merchants, the remaining four floors will be developed as a mall with additional parking on the fifth floor and terrace of the building," Vishwanath explained.
The mall above the ground floor market will be owned by the BDA which will be leased out to the traders and BDA will get revenue. He clarified that there is absolutely no dearth of funds to complete the project. "We have even got a report from an independent consultancy firm on the quality of the work. We will discuss it in the next board meeting of the authority and provide all the required help. The project got delayed due to the poor work by the consultants and I have directed the commissioner to change the consultant firm," he revealed.
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