Situated on the periphery of Connaught Place, Shankar Market is one of the biggest garment hubs in Delhi which offer a wide range of clothing options to its customers. The market came into being in 1959, but the shops were allotted to the shopkeepers only in 1980s. The shops open here at 11 a.m. and shuts down by 8 p.m.
Considered as one of the cheapest markets around Connaught Place, it merits attention of people from all walks of life for shopping.
One of the important features of this market place is that it is encroachment free.
As Delhi has got date with Commonwealth Games(CWG) in October 2010, and only a few months are left for the completion of development work, the Connaught Place is being given a new look; Shankar Market has is also getting facelift. Renovation work is going on here on fast track.
Ramesh Handa, vice-president of Shankar Market Traders Associ-ation, says, "The redevelopment work here started almost five months ago. There are plans to set up more streetlights, steel benches and flower pots inside the market. Keeping parking in mind, the road outside the market will also be made wider. The way NDMC is working in this area, it seems it will soon be ready to welcome foreigners during CWG."
Even though it is part of Conn-aught Place, Shankar Market lacks proper toilets. The shopkeepers have been pleasing with the authorities on this count for the past 15 years, but nothing on this has been done yet, says Handa.
The security of market also remains a concern as there are no proper arrangements. The seven blocks here do not have even a single CCTV camera installed. There are only a few guards who take care of the market. Handa feels that CCTV cameras are not required since it is an open market and there are no space to install those camera, and also no big incident have occurred here till now compared to several other markets.
Several people use drugs during the daytime on the main road adjoining the market. "Some can be seen having smack in the outer premises of the market almost daily. The police have so far failed to take any concrete action against these miscreants. They regularly steal items from the shops and also misbehave with women, and this brings bad name to the market," says Handa.
A shopkeeper, Raghuveer Chawla, feels that there is no coordination between the authorities who are working for the beautification of this area. He says, "The work is not being done in a proper manner. Instead of working on the beautification of pavements, they should have concentrated on the sewage problem and other maintenance work. The condition of the walls here is also pathetic. They are yet to start work on this."
There was a fire accident at the nearby Mayur Bhavan three years ago. Till today, the top three floors where the accident took place are empty. The authorities certainly should take care of it as it will spoil the beautification work of Shankar Market, say local shopkeepers.
People here are quite happy at the revamp work. A shopkeeper says, "The growth in CP will only help us. More tourists will visit us during the Games. Even though people are facing problems because of traffic these days, but soon it will all change and Connaught Place will become pride of Delhi."
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