Gole Market traders unhappy with slow beautification work

Situated in the heart of New Delhi, Gole Market like most of the markets in national capital boast of innumerable grocery shops, dozens of medicos, many cyber-cafes, and lots of every types of shops from photography studios to electrical shops to bookshops or stationery shops. Large number of shops also sell sweets, wine and beer , handicrafts and several others. . This market is considered to be every foodies delight

Even though this market is situated very near to Connaught Place , where renovation work is at it’s peak, the beautification of this area is unfortunately moving on at very slowly. The shopkeepers here fear that with this kind of speed the authorities may not be able finish the work on time as expected.

Goga Jain, who is the secretary of Gole Market Merchants Association here, says that with this kind of pace they wont be able to complete the renovation work before three years. “There is no development here. The pavements were digged 4feet deep high and five feet wide for development work and labourers are also not regular on the job. Those people who were given contract for the job by NDMC say that they cant work more efficiently as they are not getting payments frm the authorities”, he says.

Jain feels that pathetic conditions of the roads and pavements here make it difficult for the customers come here for shopping. Because of this our business is getting affected. The association here have also spoken to NDMC, which had promised them of finishing the work in time, but it seems very difficult now.

Further elaborating on the troubles that the traders and consumers are facing due to the ongoing work, Narayan Shamnani, president of the association says, “The authorities have covered the frontage of shops with iron pipes and nets, due to which several areas of Gole Market is occupied with garbage of removed plaster etc which should have been removed long back”

On several occasions, association has requested the contractors and civil department of NDMC to remove the garbage and speed up the work, but they end up blaming each other. For such an important project there are only four or five labourers workingSome of the shops here are without any roofs which were removed six months ago and nothing was done on it,.he adds. The association has also sent a letter on this to NDMC.

Relating to the ongoing project, Jain says that the authorities had also recently planned to shift some of the shops in the inner area of the market where authorities were planning to build a heritage musuem. But on this, a case is pending in High Court. The shopkeepers are being are being favoured by the Court. It seems they might not be removed from the market.

Because of the delaying work here, traffic has also added to the chaos. There is no proper are for parking Gole Market. Shopkeepers her say that even if a customer park their car nearby and come her to buy their requirements they will find traffic policemen waiting for them when they return to their car. Even the traders have to park their car some distance away from their shops.

Jain further feels, “The authorities are also planning to build overbridge or underbridge near the planne heritage museum, but with so much chaos on traffic they may find it difficult to build a parking area.

A shopkeeper even feels that as the authorities are taking so long to finish off thw work they can give supervision power to the association here, which can hlp them to finish of the project on time.

There are Just recently Reebok has also opened a showroom opposite the Bata showroom. But the area is well known for sweet shops several outlets like Karachi Halwai, Delhi Sweets, Aggarwal Sweets, Odeon Sweets, Bangla Sweet House are here.

Recently the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), the body that manages activities and funds at the Lord Venkateswara temple at Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh had also suggested that they are planning to construct grand Balaji temple in Gole Market, which they hope complete by December this year.