Hindustan Times 06.10.2010
Civic body to invest Rs50 cr for revamping marketsThe Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to revamp its old dilapidated markets into swanky malls.
As per the proposal, the 22 markets that would be revamped are at Kurla, Govandi, Ghatkopar, Vikhroli, Bandra, Santacruz, Juhu, Jogeshwari, Malad, Kandivli and Borivli, among others.
There are a total 92 municipal corporation-owned markets in the city and most of them are in dilapidated condition.
Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray visited two markets — Laxmanrao Yadav municipal market in Kurla and Hutatma Babu Genu market in Ghatkopar — in the eastern suburbs on Tuesday.
Thackeray instructed his partymen to begin the revamp work after the Navratri festival is over.
Rahul Shewale, chairman of the civic standing committee, however, said, “We want to change the face of municipal markets and give them a clean swanky look.”
In 2007, the Crawford Market redevelopment controversy, in which the civic body was allegedly accused of helping a private developer, had halted the process of redevelopment of all old markets. Now, the civic administration is going ahead with the new policy to redevelop its old and dilapidated market buildings with its own common logo and common front elevation for all BMC market buildings.
