The New Indian Express 19.10.2010
BDA's bid to make veggies cheaper
BANGALORE: Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is planning to construct markets in 39 localities in the city where people can buy vegetables and groceries at wholesale rates.The proposed markets would be built on public private partnership. Of the 39 localities, 10 have already been identified: Cambridge Layout, HSR Layout, HAL II Stage, Jnanabharathi Layout, Vidyaranyapura, BDA ward office, Kothanur, Banashankari VI Stage, Anjanapura Township and two sites at Sir M Visvesvaraya Layout. Of the remaining 29 sites, 10 are in Bangalore East, four in Bangalore West, four in Bangalore North and 11 in Bangalore South.
Around 20 per cent of the constructed area can be used for commercial purpose. According to BDA estimates, the private partner will have to spend `15,000 to construct every square metre. This takes the estimated cost of all the markets to around `107.13 crore. The BDA is planning to share the market with a private partner who is willing to give it the maximum area after constructing the market at its own cost. The BDA will fix the area that can be given to private players after assessing the market value of each site.
BDA Commissioner Bharat Lal Meena said all the projects were still in the tendering stages and thus it was difficult to say when they would be completed. He said detailed project reports and plans for each proposed market were yet to be prepared.
Concerned officials said the proposed markets were expected to reduce the heavy inflow of people to the crowded markets such as K R Market, Yeshwantpur market and others.
