BANGALORE: Krishna Rajendra Market is one of the biggest vegetable markets in the city but the filth and unhygienic conditions make visitors think twice before buying from there.The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) constructed a new building more than a decade ago but it’s second and third floors are vacant till today.Recently, more than 10 shops have come up illegally at a vacant plot at the market.Flower and vegetable sellers are ready to do business from the second and third floors of the building but the BBMP officials are yet to take a decision.Ventilation troubleThere is plenty of space at K R Market for vendors but the BBMP has given permission to set up shops at the spaces left for ventilation.Vendors at K R Market claimed that six months ago, there were four illegal flower shops at KR Market and now, six more have come up.When the standing committee inspected the market in November, the flower vendors were brought to their notice but no action was taken.There is also a rule that no shops be built at the open spaces left for ventilation but 10 shops came up at these places overnight.Also, the BBMP allotted the shops and numbered them according to floors, like if a shop was in the basement, the number would be B 1, or if the shop was on the ground floor, the number will be G1. But there are shops in the market like 337 A, B, C, D, and 256 A, B, C, D, and 233 A, B.“Recently, I gave permission for five shops but I don’t know where as I didn’t visit the spot,” said Deputy Commissioner of Markets Purushottam.He cut the phone call when asked about the ventilation problem and other issues at the market and later was not available for comments.The newly elected chairman of the Standing Committee for Markets, M Roopa Ramesh, said: “We will see to it and get justice.”Why not use the other floors?Nagaraj, a shopkeeper at KR Market, said: “There are two floors that are vacant for the past 14 years. Earlier, there were few vendors and so the palike had closed them but now there are hundreds of vendors and they can give away the shops.” If the BBMP gave the top two floors to vendors, the market would be more spacious and people will be able to walk freely, said one of the vendors there.Chairman of the standing committee M Roopa Ramesh said vendors were willing to go to the second and third floors. “Now the mango season is here. We will try to clean up the place and if they are interested, we will give away the place,” she said.Monsoon is nearDuring rains, vendors suffer losses due to lack of shelters.Vendors complained that some BBMP officials do not want the shops given away because the money will then stop flowing to their pockets.Vendors complained that BBMP employees, police and local rowdies regularly collected hafta from them for allowing them to run their businesses.Dastagir Khan, president of Onion and Potato Merchants Association, said BBMP staff collected money from vendors every day and no receipts are given for that.“During monsoons, vendors suffer because there is no place for them to keep their goods,” he said. “They said vendors were not willing to use the top floors, but if there are good facilities inside, why should we refuse.”Health hazardsGarbage and vegetable wastes dumped in the market are not carried out everyday.There are mosquitoes, dogs, cattle and rats are all over the place. This poses a serious health threat to shoppers and vendors.
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