Funds sanctioned for wholesale fish market, NMC builds it for retailers

Nagpur: In a startling revelation regarding Bhoipura fish market PIL (No 131/2017), the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court on Wednesday was informed that the actual plan was to construct wholesalers’ market at Mangalwari and funds were sanctioned for the same, but civic authorities build it for the retailers.
A division bench comprising justices Ravi Deshpande and Vinay Joshi then asked the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to explain on how the plan was changed when funds were sanctioned for wholesalers’ market. The judges also told wholesalers’ counsel Firdos Mirza to submit names of his clients along with their license numbers by next week. They also allowed Ajay Ghare pleading for another group of wholesalers, to file an intervention in the PIL.
The directives came while hearing a PIL (No 131/2017) by Rohit Gaur through counsel Sejal Lakhani praying for shifting of Bhoipura fish market on Central Avenue Road due to several problems faced by the residents.
Earlier, NMC counsel Sudhir Puranik contended that it constructed a new market at Mangalwari, as per norms of Fisheries Development Board, Hyderabad, where it provided over hundred platforms for retailers and four shops for wholesalers. It also has facilities of cold storage, round the clock water supply and waste disposal. He added that they had removed all the shopkeepers, including retailers and wholesalers, from the area, as per HC’s directives. However, instead of shifting to new market having all facilities, those fish sellers return to Bhoipura, encroaching on the streets.
Mirza then pointed out that the NMC had removed even the wholesalers who were having authorized shops in the Bhoipura market under the garb of removing encroachment. Accusing NMC of creating the mess, he pointed out that original plan was sanctioned for the wholesale fish market, and Fisheries Development Board had sanctioned funds accordingly. However, the civic authorities came out with retailers market and only four rooms were allotted for the wholesalers, whose numbers are over 50.
Endorsing him, Lakhani informed that Fisheries Board had sanctioned Rs3.45 crore for the Mangalwari market which is ready now, but fish sellers weren’t shifting there. She informed that entire area of the complex is 20,000 sq ft of which only 8,000 sq ft is for retailers. In remaining 12,000 sq ft area, the NMC can construct 15-20 rooms for wholesalers.