Bhagirath Palace, a wholesale market of electrical products located at Chandni Chowk, for which space is also being given in Rai. Jagran
Nemish Hemant, New Delhi. The Haryana government's serious efforts to woo some of the internationally popular wholesale markets, the backbone of Delhi's economy, have alarmed the Delhi government. The state government is working seriously to prevent Delhi's revenue from going out of the wholesale markets. According to sources associated with the government, along with bringing trade and industry policy for warehouses, formation of Trade Welfare Board and restructuring of SRDC will be done in a few months.
Trade-industry alone contributes 65 percent
Delhi's wholesale markets are not only trading centres, they are also the backbone of the city's vibrant heritage and economy. These markets, which have been running since the Mughal period, still remain the business hub of North India. The number of such wholesale markets in Delhi is more than 300. In which there are about two and a half to three lakh business establishments. Along with this, there are around 500 retail markets and seven lakh more traders. According to an estimate, trade and industry alone contribute 65 percent to Delhi's economy.
The process of providing facilities will start soon
The Haryana government is trying to bring businesses from Delhi's wholesale markets like Khari Baoli, Chawri Bazaar, Bhagirath Palace and Kirti Nagar to Rai, Sonipat. Due to which business also got added to its economy. According to Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, the process of providing basic facilities with adequate land allotted for the markets of Delhi is going to start soon.
In a recent meeting with businessmen and entrepreneurs, the Chief Minister informed about allotment of land in Rai, Sonipat for the electrical market of Bhagirath Palace located at Chandni Chowk, the wholesale market of dry fruits and spices of Khari Baoli as well as the marble market located at Kirti Nagar. Similarly, other markets are also in the queue to go to Haryana.
Government will provide better facilities
Due to this, concern is being seen not only in the wholesale markets of Old Delhi but also in the Delhi Government. It is believed that soon the ministers of Delhi government can present the roadmap after consulting with the businessmen. By the way, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had talked about moving the wholesale markets of Old Delhi to the outer parts of Delhi a few months ago. However, when his statement created uncertainty and anger among a large section of traders, he clarified that the wholesale markets of Old Delhi will remain there and the government will provide them better facilities.
Wholesale market beset with problems
The wholesale markets that have been running for hundreds of years in Old Delhi are full of problems. It is almost impossible for fire services and ambulances to reach these markets which are crowded and situated in narrow streets. Similarly, due to lack of parking, hours of time is wasted in illegal parking of vehicles and loading and unloading of goods.
Why is the market looking for outside options?
Also, there is severe traffic jam. Buildings are becoming dangerous due to dilapidated and illegal construction. Hanging electrical wires pose a great danger. Also, the problem of ceiling keeps looming. The new generation of traders in wholesale markets are becoming disillusioned with problems like overflowing sewers, encroachment by street vendors, filth, lack of public toilets, drinking water crisis etc. The biggest crisis is the unavailability of warehouses and cold storage, due to which the markets are now looking for outside options.
The plans kept gathering dust in the files
In the earlier governments, grassroots efforts were not made towards the availability of basic facilities in the markets as well as freedom from Inspector Raj. The plan for redevelopment of five markets including Khari Baoli did not come to fruition. Similarly, many other announcements like the intention to create an e-portal and organizing trade fairs in the markets remained confined to files.
Talk of going to Haryana has been going on for 10 years
The effort to move the markets of Old Delhi to Rai in Sonipat, Haryana has been going on for the last 10 years. Several rounds of meetings were held with former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar as well as senior officials of Haryana. Naib Singh Saini government also continued it. Now the chance has come to bring it down to earth
Traders organizations are reporting expansion of markets
Along with Bhagirath Palace, the business organizations of Khari Baoli are calling the effort of taking their markets to Haryana as an expansion of the market. According to him, their next generation does not want to come to the markets beset with problems, hence they are being given the option of expansion. Rest, there will be markets here also. Ajay Sharma, President of Delhi Electrical Traders Association, says that it is appropriate to call it expansion rather than relocation of markets. Along with the problems, there is also lack of facilities here. There is not that much space in which something new can be done.
Efforts will be made to stop revenue from markets
People associated with the government say that every possible effort will be made to stop Delhi's revenue from going to Haryana. According to him, this situation has arisen due to the AAP government's neglect of the markets for the last 10 years. Rekha Gupta's government is now paying adequate attention to better business environment along with growth in the markets.
According to Praveen Khandelwal, MP from Chandni Chowk and National General Secretary of Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), the Delhi government is going to come up with a good policy regarding logistics policy warehouses. There is enough land in Delhi where warehouses can be built. This will solve the big problem of wholesale traders of Delhi.
Similarly, Delhi Business Welfare Board has been constituted for regular communication and improvement. Soon it will start functioning formally by announcing the office bearers. The wholesale markets of Old Delhi will be redeveloped by reorganizing the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC) with the consent of the merchant organizations.
Khandelwal says that the markets of Delhi are not only the backbone of the state's economy but are also a strong identity of Delhi. It is true that the previous governments did not pay any attention to this, but Rekha Gupta's government is serious in this direction and has made many ambitious announcements regarding it.
More big decisions will be taken in the next few months. Markets will not be allowed to go out of Delhi. At the same time, BJP state spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor says that it has not been even a year since the BJP government was formed in Delhi, but the impact of the historic decisions taken in the interest of business is already visible.
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