The newly constructed Otta market in Baner is gathering dust as the civic body is yet to finalise its hawker’s policy, in the absence of which the Pune municipal corporation is unable to lease out the market to vendors.
The newly constructed Otta market in Baner is gathering dust as the civic body is yet to finalise its hawker’s policy, in the absence of which the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is unable to lease out the market to vendors.
Constructed at a cost of Rs1.5 crore, work on the marketplace was completed in 2008. Situated at the entrance of Concord Proxima housing society, the project was opposed by the local residents tooth and nail since the beginning.
In order to build the market, the civic body had changed the original zoning of the land from residential to commercial. Locals pointed out how the present location was unsuitable for construction of the market, being almost 400 metres away from Baner Road.
The market was supposed to have come up on Survey Number 77 on main Baner Road. However, the civic body moved the reservation to Survey No 88 (A), the present location.
Anupam Saraph, a member of the Baner Area Sabha and resident of Concord Proxima, along with other residents had written repeated letters to the then commissioner, Pravinsinh Pardeshi, and other officers of the civic body to stop the work.
In spite of being complete for the last two years, the market is non-functional. Vijay Dahibhate, zonal commissioner stated, “The hawker’s policy of the civic body is not yet in place. In the absence of any policy, we are not able to allot the stalls to the hawkers and start the Otta market.” However, he was not able to give any time frame for a hawker’s policy being framed and implemented.
Local corporator Baburao Chandere claimed the delay is due to disputes that have arisen during allocation of stalls. “Local residents want preferential treatment in the allocation. We are trying to resolve the issue,” he said.
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