Projects Gathering Dust: Sector 41 meat market reeks of neglect

Sandeep Rana

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Chandigarh, November 7

It is hard to miss sewage stench, strewn garbage, dumped debris and wild overgrowth at the Municipal Corporation’s AC Fish and Meat Market in Sector 41. No wonder that less than one-third of the 33 shops are in business at the market.

Paying 25K/month

The booths were leased out for Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 per month for a 10-year period. Many have left these due to high rent with no basic facilities. Shankar, a shopkeeper

Tender for repair soon

I have asked officers concerned to prepare a tender for repair of the premises. A separate tender for clean-up will also be floated. Hardeep Singh, area councillor

Constructed by the UT Administration at a cost of around Rs 5 crore in 2006 and handed over to the civic body for operations in 2009, the facility is lying deserted.

There is seepage in the entire building and toilets are too bad to be used. Windows, doors and ACs have been damaged as booths have remained unused and no maintenance work has been carried out in years.

A lessee says of the total 33 booths, only seven are operational, but even these shopkeepers are thinking of surrendering their units. After struggling to find buyers for 14 years, the MC had finally auctioned off 33 booths in August 2020. However, a majority of these have remained shut due to alleged indifference on part of the civic body. Some of those who have taken booths on lease have chosen not to run these given the poor conditions.

“The booths were leased out for Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 per month for a 10-year period. Many have left their units due to high rent with no basic facilities being offered by the authorities,” laments Shankar, one of the lessees.

“Amid rising cases of dengue, a pool of sewage is present right at the rear of the booths. We have raised several complaints regarding blocked sewerage, but to no avail. During monsoon, rainwater drips from the ceiling. Parking area is a mess. Only seven booths are currently operational and we are planning to surrender these too,” he adds.

Vicky, another shopkeeper, says: “We have been facing inconvenience ever since we took these booths on lease. The market is quite dirty and it stinks, but there is no one to listen to our plight despite several complaints.”

Area councillor Hardeep Singh says: “I have asked officers concerned to prepare a tender for repair of the premises. A separate tender for clean-up will also be floated. Had all shops been occupied, the owners would have taken care of these issues themselves.”

One of the reasons for most of the booths lying vacant is illegal fish vendors operating in the city. “If illegal fish vendors are active in the city, why will anyone take these booths on rent? I have raised the matter in the MC. All booths were auctioned off, but due to infrastructure and rent issues, only 10 lessees remained,” adds the lone SAD councillor.

Illegal fish vendors are present in Sectors 42 and 47, Dadu Majra and other areas in the evening hours. The corporation has turned a blind to this encroachment.

Rs 5 crore cost of project

Took UT 14 years to find buyers

2006: AC Fish & Meat Market built in Sec 41

2009: Market operations handed over to MC

2020: MC leases out all 33 booths

2022: 10 lessees remain (7 booths operational), rest surrender units

‘Turn it into general market for viability’

Area councillor Hardeep Singh has urged the MC to write to the Centre to convert the fish market into a general market. “By removing the boundary wall, the market will get merged with the adjoining Krishna Market. All booths will then get disposed of easily,” he says.

Picture imperfect

• Pool of sewage at rear of booths
• Seepage in building
• Toilets in bad shape
• Windows, doors, ACs damaged
• Premises strewn with garbage, debris