From buzz to bust: 20 shops wind down at Jayanagar complex

At least 20 businesses that were once a beehive of activities in the Jayanagar shopping complex are now bolting up their doors due to lack of footfall in the new complex.

While the vendors were relocated from the old complex with the assurance that they would receive a more modern complex with better amenities within two years, the redevelopment efforts are yet to make much progress.

“Though a few shops on the ground or first floor rake in good business, those in the basement hardly have any customers,” said Jagadish Hemrajani, general secretary of the Jayanagar Shopping Complex Merchants’ Association.

He said 42 out of the 168 shops were relocated to the basement, which is also utilised as a parking area and sees very few visitors.

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Many of them paid rent and waited for two years, but without progress in their relocation, they had to close their shops.

Many shops on the third floor and beyond were empty since the traders are reluctant to occupy them owing to the poor footfall, Hemrajani added.

“I have been running my business at the complex for 35 years and now, on most days, there are no visitors. It is literally zero business on many days,” said Hafeez M, who runs a clothing business in the basement of the new complex.

The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) had tendered the project for Rs 252 crore four years ago, but only Rs 56 crore worth of work has been completed, officials said.

“Though the BBMP has managed to get them vacated physically, the paperwork is still pending. There are pending court cases and agreements have not been cancelled. Since we have not been given possession of the entire property, we have not been able to go ahead with the work,” a senior BDA official said.

However, sources in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) said that the contractor had approached the Urban Development Department (UDD) seeking a higher rate through arbitration.

“The BBMP has nothing to do with the delay in the work. The BDA has not been able to get the contractor to work and since he has approached the UDD, the matter is stuck,” a BBMP official said.

He added that there does not seem to be a resolution in sight as the BDA can neither cancel the tender nor proceed with the work until the arbitration is completed.

Traders now demand to be shifted back. “If the works were going on, we could have waited. Now, there is no point waiting and we have requested that they shift us back,” Hemrajani said.