Jaipur Municipal Corporation-Heritage may set up night bazaar near Albert Hall

JAIPUR: After the plan for conducting a demo night bazaar at Chaura Rasta in the city was cancelled due to protests by traders, the Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) Heritage administration is now considering shifting the night bazaar location to Albert Hall. Officials said that a proposal will be sent to the state government regarding this to seek permission.
A demo of the weekly night bazaar from 7pm to 1am was scheduled to take place this weekend but was called off on Thursday after a protest by Chaura Rasta Vyapar Mandal.The traders body said that the night bazaar will increase traffic movement, affect the daily lives of the residents as the place where the bazaar would be set up is the way to a temple and a hospital in the city.
“We had discussed with the traders about the night bazaar, and they had submitted their objections to us, but we had assured them that all issues will be resolved. We have also reserved 15% of the shops or stalls at the night market for traders from the local market. This was supposed to be a demo this weekend, but after objections from the traders’ body who were also supported by the Jaipur Vyapar Mahasangh, it has been called off for now,” said an executive engineer who is handling the setting up of the night bazaar.
He further said that as Albert Hall is not that far away from the Walled City, the corporation is trying to arrange the market there, however new dates are yet to be decided.
“We are now planning to take permission from the state government to hold the night bazaar at the road outside Albert Hall, which is not that far away from the Heritage city and has tourist footfall also,” added the senior official. Vivek Bhardwaj, general secretary of Chaura Rasta Vyapar Mandal said that with the night bazaar waste generation will increase as “tourists will obviously eat, and waste collection system is already not the best.”
“It will also increase traffic movement and in general disturb the residents. Chaura Rasta is not just a marketplace, but a residential place also. The road proposed for the bazaar is also the way for a hospital and temple; all those movements will get affected, due to which we protested. The officials did no homework or discuss properly with us before announcing the initiative,” said Bhardwaj.