Unit-2 Market Building in Odisha capital reopens; shopkeepers incurred Rs 100 crore losses in 18-day agitation

Bhubaneswar: After remaining shut for 18 days over a dispute regarding the eviction of makeshift stalls, the Unit-2 Market Building, a popular shopping complex in Odisha capital here, reopened today.

This was announced by the Central Market Association of Market Building at a presser here.

“The owners of permanent shops at Market Building have incurred losses to the tune of Rs 100 crore in last 18 days. The shopkeepers reopened their shops today,” said the association.

The association, meanwhile, made it clear that no one will be allowed to open any vending stall by encroaching upon the open spaces near the both gates of Market Building.

The shopkeepers had closed Market Building for indefinite period on July 17 to protest against the alleged failure of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to evict the makeshift vending stalls from the shopping complex.

The Central Market Association alleged that some people have virtually encroached upon the market by opening makeshift vending stalls in the locality.

According to the association, the owners of permanent shops at Market Building used to face a lot of problems due to the presence of hundreds of makeshift stalls in the area. This apart, the makeshift stalls are causing unnecessary congestions at the shopping complex, they alleged.

The shopkeepers further alleged that a few officials of the BMC are shielding the owners of the makeshift stalls by collecting money from them.

They have claimed that the civic authorities were supposed to evict the makeshift stalls from Market Building in 2020. However, the authorities are yet to do so despite repeated appeals in this regard, they said.