On record
Two years after the West Bengal government allocated ₹26 crore to renovate the 1874-built, Victorian-Gothic New Market (appointing Jadavpur University as consultant for central air-conditioning, seismic retrofitting, and repairs to its drainage, roof and toilets), no actual construction work had started on the deteriorating structure, which has cracked pillars and walls, flooding during rain, and roof leaks, despite housing 3,000 shops that generate ₹25 crore in annual revenue for KMC.
The official record states: "Municipal and Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim cited unresolved issues around removing illegal hawker structures along the market's outer walls, temporarily relocating shops, and calculating compensation costs as reasons the funded work had not begun."
“Twenty-six crore allocated to a Victorian market in 2023; the Victorians are still waiting.”— Blunderlust Editorial Desk
Sources
Visitor reviews Satire
“Twenty-six crore allocated in 2023 for an 1874 market that still has cracked pillars, a leaking roof and flooding inside.”
“Three thousand shops generate twenty-five crore a year for the corporation, and none of it has reached the roof.”
“The minister says the hawker structures, the relocation and the compensation are all unresolved, which they were in 2023 too.”
