Sirsa shopkeepers allege fraud in trade tower project, demand minister’s intervention

Shopkeepers of the Trade Tower Market in Sirsa have accused the Municipal Council of cheating them by failing to deliver on promises made during the market’s inaugurated over a decade ago. A memorandum was submitted to Cabinet Minister Krishan Bedi through BJP District Secretary Baljinder Josan, demanding justice and immediate action on Wednesday.

The shopkeepers, including Ramesh Kumar, Manish Kumar, Goldy Mehta, Rajkumar, and others, said in 2011–12, they were shown an impressive plan of a modern shopping complex. The design featured basement parking, spacious showrooms on the first and second floors and a municipal office on the third floor. Encouraged by this, many participated in the auction and took shops on monthly rents ranging from Rs 7,000 to Rs 15,000.

However, they alleged that none of the promised facilities, such as proper water supply, sewerage system, or cleanliness were ever provided. Despite regularly paying therent for years, no significant construction or development was carried out, they said.

Shopkeeper Ramesh Kumar shared that after six years of waiting, they stopped paying the rent and submitted written complaints to the Municipal Council and district administration. He also revealed that the original market design was created by a professional at a cost of Rs 6-7 lakh, but it was never implemented.

The issue was later raised through the CM Window and discussed with local leaders including former grievance committee chairman Krishan Bedi. According to Kumar, Bedi acknowledged the wrongdoing and even directed officials to stop rent collection until a CM flying squad investigation was completed.

The shopkeepers also expressed anger over the drastic drop in rental rates in later years. In 2019, similar shops were rented out for just Rs 3,000 per month, and in 2024, newly vacated shops were auctioned again at low rates. In 2025, security deposits for upper-floor shops were reduced from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh, with monthly rents as low as Rs 2,000- Rs 2,100.

They say they feel “betrayed” and are urging the minister to visit the site and take strict action against the officials responsible.

BJP leader Baljinder Josan assured the shopkeepers that their concerns would be brought to the minister’s attention and promised to fight for a fair resolution.

Meanwhile, Sunil Ranga, Executive Officer of Municipal Council Sirsa acknowledged that this was an old issue and discussions had already been held with the district administration. He confirmed that earlier auctioned shops had higher rents, while later auctions resulted in lower rents, causing dissatisfaction among earlier allottees. He stated that the matter had been sent to the headquarters, and action would be taken accordingly. Ranga also promised that issues related to sewerage, water, and cleanliness would soon be addressed in collaboration with local authorities.