Fire-ravaged Jayanagar shop owners get a new shock

A dilapidated ceiling with stains of thick black smoke, badly damaged doors and an unrestored electricity connection are all that remain of the 72 shops in the shopping complex in Jayanagar IV Block gutted by the fire accident of June 2008.
If it wasn't enough that the BBMP failed to deliver on its promise to revamp the market, yet another shock awaits the traders here. The authorities are planning to demolish the market in a month's time and are yet to give notice to the traders.
The shops were part of a market that stood as a symbol of Bengaluru's ethnicity, one of the few such traditional markets that remain in the city.
Not surprisingly, panic stricken traders are now up in arms against the BBMP's decision. "We only got Rs 50,000 as compensation for the huge loss we suffered. While BBMP got the place partially cleaned up prior to Chief Minister, B. S. Yeddyrurappa's visit after the fire, but since then nobody from BBMP turned up for three months. It is then that we took the initiative and collected some money from traders and got the space cleaned up and repaired the shops at our own cost and reinvested," said Kumaraswamy, a trader who suffered a Rs. 4.5 lakh loss. "They haven't even restored the electricity yet and we are taking it from the shops which did not suffer the impact of fire. The doors that were broken to enter the market to douse the flames have yet not been repaired," said Gopal, another trader at the Jayanagar complex.
Venkatachalapathy. M, Deputy Commissioner, Markets, BBMP, confirmed this. "We are demolishing the market place and coming up with a modern complex. We're also demolishing Janatha bazaar and Puttanna Kanagal theatre and building a multistoried parking lot and a new theatre in their place. The demolition will happen in a month's time. We are yet to issue notice to the traders. We will make alternative arrangements or pay compensation to them," he informed.
But the traders are not willing to give up easily. "We have got the building tested. It has at least 30 years of life. Let them paint it and make some alterations. We have been here since 35 years. While we started paying Rs 33 as rent, now we pay Rs 220 and those who have handed over the shop to some others are paying Rs 15,000. We fear that even if we get space in such a complex, the rents will be higher. So we only want this same building to be renovated," said Rajesh, who runs a condiment shop.
"This market is meant for public utility. We will not co-operate with Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Paalike(BBMP) unless they make an agreement with us that they will provide shops in the new complex at the same rents and fix a time frame and make an alternate arrangement. Only then will we co-operate," says, M. Basavaraj, President, Jayanagar IV block shopping complex owners association while speaking to Deccan Chronicle.