Skip to content Skip to navigation

GMC fails to realize traders’ woe

It is more than six months, when Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) decided to construct four city markets buildings at a time and in a hasty action a ‘mockery of foundation stone’ laying ceremony of four markets were done by nobody else than the Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi himself at a single place located in densely populated area of Ulubari. The existing Ulubari GMC market had to bear the brunt of damages of the stalls created by the poor traders of the market for the function. GMC Commissioner and Mayor along with some other GMC officials approached the office bearers of the Ulubari Bazar Committee on March 4,2014, with the information that the foundation stone laying ceremony would be done by the Chief Minister, the following day i.e. on 5th March at 11 a.m. They ordered dismantling of about two dozens of stalls in the market to provide space to make stage for the programme. The traders of the market were informed that they would be getting a good building for their shops very soon. They had to lose their shops and daily business for several days consequently.

It was on March 5, 2014 when India’s Election commission was to announce the Lok Sabha elections in the country. The chief minister was to perform foundation stone laying ceremony  which was scheduled at 11 a m and accordingly the traders and the people of the locality were given to understand to attend the function. Surprisingly, the programme was preponed for 9 a.m. and the so-called drama of foundation stone laying ceremony of Ulubari, Rup Nagar, Ganeshguri and Fatasil these four GMC markets were performed at the same site. It was informed that because of declaration of Lok Sabha polls it was necessary to speed up construction of markets before the introduction of code of conduct by the Election Commission.

The city traders were kept in waiting for several months to see the  work to start. According to GMC, the contractors were given the work orders to begin the work. On September 24, 2014 a meeting of GMC officials held with the contractors on progress of work. It was found that even the arrangement of water which is most essential item for use by human and construction work was not done. The power connection has recently been arranged by the contractor, but the temporary camp and toilet for use by watchmen and laborers has not been done so far. Some iron rods are seen at the sight and a few laborers are cutting iron rings for last few days. The piling work is yet to start. The traders of the Ulubari market whose stalls were demolished have not got any relief either from GMC or the contractor. They have been left to continue their business in miserable conditions.

 

The contractor has not provided any work schedule to the Bazar Committee, which can enable them to observe the progress of work as agreed upon by the GMC. They feel there is lack of coordination between the GMC and the contractor due to which there is delay in the construction of the market. Although the contractor has obtained power connection from the APDCL, the piling work at the sight has not been started as yet. Keeping in view the plight of traders, the Market committee has requested the GMC officials to review the entire matter related to their market and get the speedy momentum to complete the project in the interest of suffering poor traders.

Author info

Daya Nath Singh's picture

Journalist; Guwahati Press Club office Secretary

Add new comment

Random Stories

Gacko. Photo by J K Das

Poacher eyes on Assam's lesser wildlife

11 Nov 2013 - 11:13am | Chandan Kumar Duarah
Assam Police arrested a man with three tockey geckos November 10 at Paltanbazar area of Guwahati , the capital city of Assam. Now it is not only rhino horn, ivory or bones of tiger most valuable for...

Five Muslim bodies back drive against B’deshis

14 Aug 2008 - 3:21am | editor
The Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad and five other organizations of the indigenous Muslim people urged the people not to communalize the drive against Bangladeshi immigrants in the state....

Bon Mahotsav at Udalguri Civil Hospital

9 Jul 2012 - 9:12pm | Jayanta Kumar Das
On the occasion of Bon Mahotsav week 2012, Dhansiri Forest Division,Udalguri organized a plantation programme at the premises of Udalguri Civil Hospital on July 7 at 9 AM. While welcoming...

Mid air collision averted

3 Aug 2016 - 6:07pm | AT News
At least 300 air passengers had a narrow escape when two flights carrying them avoided a mid air collision in near Guwahati on Wednesday. The incident took place in the morning when an Indigo flight...

Other Contents by Author

Gamusas and Japis are two important items in Assam, which are in much demand throughout the year in the state especially during festival seasons and social functions. These items are demanded by the people to honor the guests and honorable persons during each and every event.  However, it has been found that throughout the festival seasons the supply of locally woven gamusas are not according to demand by the customers. The reason behind it is said to be heavy cost of the locally produced items. On the other hand the weavers and traders from other parts of the country take advantage of supplying gamusas at cheaper rates and make more profit despite spending heavy cost on...
Archaeological Survey of India, Guwahati circle, has been trying to take-up the work of repairing of a broken pillar in the Mandap of Hayagriva Madhav Temple at Hajo for a long time. ASI, Guwahati has informed the media through a press note that one of the pillars of ancient temple was broken in three parts due to rusting of the iron dowels holding each other and the other developed cracks due to the same reason and widened more after the earthquake of May 2015. Hayagriva Madhav Temple is a reconstructed temple during the Koch period. The architectural parts of the earlier temple have been used for reconstruction. Different parts of the temple have been used randomly for making the pillars...
There is a generation gap between the signing of Assam Accord on the Independence Day 1985 and the present generation has to face new challenges to compete with the world class people in all spheres of development. The young people are confused over the airing of old issues which have lasted for long 31 years in absence of any solution. The issues pertaining to the Accord have become irrelevant under the present circumstances. The Assam Accord issue is still haunting and confusing the present generation due to absence of a clear picture. The fate of the Accord is not known to the people in general. A few politicians and intellectuals are trying to raise the issues of the accord from time to...
It is an established fact that a person involved in political activities cannot remain in peace till his cherished dreams are fulfilled. This can be noticed through the recent statements of former Assam chief minister, Tarun Gogoi, who has been expressing his views frequently in media against the four months old BJP-led alliance government in the state under the chief minister ship of Sarwanand Sonowal.  He (Gogoi) dares to demand a ‘white paper’ from state government about the steps taken by it to clear the encroachments of forest and other government  lands in the state and also to let the people of the state know, what action it has taken to identify and deport the foreign...
Addressing a huge gathering of residents of Udaypur, Jonakpur and Birubari at Udaypur Kali Mandir complex on Sunday, July 3, 2016, East Guwahati Assembly Member, Siddharth Bhattacharjee, emphasized the need of implementing the vision document of development as envisaged by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speaking at the function organized by Udaypur Yuva Sangha to felicitate him on his success in the recently concluded polls to the state Assembly, he conveyed his thanks to the people of the area for showing their confidence in him. He assured the people that he would not let their confidence go in vain. The meeting was presided over by Dr Phani Borah. Senior citizen of the locality Kartik...
Hardly a few days ago, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Alliance has taken the reign of Assam administration the results of efforts made by Chief Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal under the guidance of PM Narendra Modi to bring back black money to the state coffer, has started recently with the arrest of Dhemaji Divisional Forest Officer, Mahat Chandra Talukdar by anti-corruption department. For a long time the reports of wildlife crimes were in the air, but the previous state administration ruled by Congress Party under the three-terms  leadership of Tarun Gogoi did not try to take any action. The former Chief Minister Gogoi was under a wrong impression that the people who gave him a...
A study conducted by B Boruah Cancer Institute, Guwahati, has revealed that during a decade from 2001-02 to 2011-12, cancer cases in the north-eastern part of the country have gone up from 5,404 to 8,708. A campaign, namely, Cycle 4 ride can help control this dreaded disease. In order to raise awareness to fight cancer a lady, namely, Marcellna Sangma, is going to lead a Biker Mission to 600 kms long stretch from Guwahati to Bum La Pass, near Indo-China border in Arunachal Pradesh. The ride is scheduled to be flagged off by Dr Amar Chandra Kataki, Director, B Boruah Cancer Institute, on April 21, 2016.Expressing her traumatic experience with cancer, Sangma, who was a cancer patient a decade...
Being disturbed since the first phase of polling for Assam Assembly on April 4 last, the Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi is finding it difficult to remember the history of Assam agitation propelled by All Assam Students Union (AASU) since the year 1979 to the Independence Day of 1985, resulting in the Assam Accord which was signed between the Assam Government and the movement leaders in presence of erstwhile prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi. Heavy polling beyond 85 percent of the electorate in the second phase also made Gogoi to think over the majority of young and new voters were not the ‘beneficiaries of getting blankets, yarn and mosquito nets’. They are young, energetic, literate and...
Continuing campaigns for Assam Assembly elections have confused the Assam intellectuals to raise vital issues before the future state legislators and improve the quality of political atmosphere affecting the entire society for quite some time. Almost all political parties have started ‘derogatory’ comments against their rivals for attracting the electorates by their acts and objectives about which they are themselves ignorant. The main reason behind such interpretation is lack of knowledge about the real issues on which the political parties are campaigning. Assam as a state of multi-lingual and religious people continued to be disturbed since the year1979, when several organizations under...
Long awaited North East Graduate Congress, an initiative of Education Research Development Foundation (ERDF) is going to be held from February 26 to 28, 2016. This is the only graduate congress in India being organized by University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM) in association with RIST and supported by the State Bank of India (SBI). The venue of the congress is the USTM campus at 9th mile, Khanapara. Addressing the media persons in Guwahati on February 14, 2016, the USTM spokesperson informed that the three days congress is aimed to enhance all round development and bring out the capabilities of future graduates through various life skill processes to bring out  their...