Russell Market is finally ready to take advantage of the Ramzan season with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike issuing a no objection certificate to BESCOM to resume power supply to the market. However, only about 50 shops have got the clearance.
The 85-year-old market was ravaged by fire on February 25. The BBMP estimated the loss to be in the region of Rs 1.5 crore as 177 of the 440 shops in the iconic market were destroyed. Traders keen to get the market restored were up against an intransigent BBMP that conducted a survey and issued a notice ordering that the market be demolished. Owing to pressure from every side, the order was never executed and the market was restored by the traders putting in their own money.
The BBMP, however, still refused to issue an NOC for the power. According to sources in the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company, the civic body had written to the power company stating that as the market is going to be demolished, power supply should not be restored. Five months later, the BBMP has relented and agreed to issue the NOC, but only for 50 shops. "We were expecting, that after all this running around, they would issue clearance for all shops. But the permission is only for about 50 shops. This is not acceptable to us," said Mohammed Idrees Choudhury, general secretary of the Russell Market Traders Association.
On Monday traders were promised a meeting with BESCOM officials to clarify the matter, but none of the officials turned up, claiming to be in a meeting with BBMP officials. BESCOM too is dragging its feet. "We have the letter, but we are yet to process the supply clearance. There has been reported by the East circle,???? for which we will have to give a clarification. And once the condition of supply is met, we take the next step," said a senior official from BESCOM.