Illegal construction under the cover of government flat built above Meharchand Double Story Market located in Lodhi Colony. Awakening
Sudhir Baisla, South Delhi. My ancestral house is still there in Peshawar. My father came here at the time of partition. I was born in Delhi. We refugees lived here in Lodhi Colony Camp. They used to do household needs business by setting up kiosks on the roadside. About 400-500 families were earning their livelihood by setting up kiosks.
In 1956, the then Rehabilitation Minister Meharchand Khanna had built several markets in Delhi under the scheme of providing permanent shops to the refugees. A municipal double story Meharchand Market and Meharchand Market were built in them.
This was called Wonder Market, because here the tailors used to alter the clothes with great care and sew new ones. The adjacent Meharchand Market has been made freehold, where now there are tailor shops, showrooms with glass walls instead of traditional old shops, salons and cafes, but the double story market remains the same even after 69 years. It is on the verge of collapse. This story was told to us by Ghanshyam Kharbanda, who runs a tailor shop in Double Story Market.
There are 101 shops in the double storey market, and on top of that, there are Type 2 and Type 3 flats for Delhi Government employees. The melted bars of the pillars in front of the shops below are visible outside. Plaster and plaster often break and fall from the ceiling. Government employees have converted the Type 2 building above the shops into Type 7 as per their wish. Even though they themselves are putting their families at risk, they are not ready to vacate these flats.
Market Association Secretary Nirmal Singh said that at present this market is under the Land and Property Department of MCD. The shopkeepers sitting in these shops are license holders of this department, not owners.
The rent of a small shop is up to Rs 10 per month while the rent of a big shop is up to Rs 40 per month. There is a collective demand of all the shopkeepers that like the adjacent Meharchand Market, this market should be kept free and allotted to only those shopkeepers who are currently license holders. Rajendra and tailor Mohan, who run tour travels, also have the same demand.
Meharchand Market completely changed from 2022
Meharchand Market next to MCD Double Market South Delhi Municipal Corporation approved its redevelopment in 2022. Under the plan, it was decided to make it a three-storey, pedestrianized modern shopping plaza.
Also, these were allotted to license holders only. Now the market has worn a new outfit. Showrooms, salons and cafes with glass walls have started appearing. Instead of a shop that once provided tents and tarpaulins for weddings, there is now a Carnatic Café. Along with food, there is a long queue here throughout the day.