Going stern over littering and encroaching government spaces, Urban Development and Municipal Affairs minister Agnimitra Paul today instructed the Kolkata Municipal Corporation to set up cold storage at the civic body run fish markets.
After conducting a cleanliness drive at Gariahat, the minister inspected the VIP market at Maniktala this morning. She instructed to maintain cleanliness particularly in the toilets and floors of the market. During today’s inspection, the UDMA minister also emphasised on clearing the extended parts of shops and stalls at the KMC market. “Please stick to whatever square feet of space allocated to you. Do not expand and encroach upon the public passage,” said Ms Paul. She stressed that the common passage belongs to the public and it could not be used by shopkeepers to stock their articles, benches, fans or anything similar.
The ministers also asked to remove all the hoardings inside and outside the market immediately as those were not bringing any revenue to the government.
While walking through the marketplace, Ms Paul noticed a thermocol box used by one of the fish sellers to store fish. The minister instructed to remove the box and immediately asked to set up cold storage at the market where drawers would be allocated to shop owners for storing fish. “Nothing has been done in the past 50 years,” claimed the minister. “Neither the floors of the market have been cleaned nor the damaged tiles repaired. Almost all the shops have encroached upon the public passages by extending their premises with tables and chairs.
The electric wires are hanging and the toilets are in extremely poor condition. We have asked to construct separate bathrooms for men and women. The place where thermocol boxes and other waste items were kept is to be cleared and developed as a parking lot as no vehicles would now be allowed to enter inside the market. On the other side, a cold storage is to be set up. Those selling fish and chicken would be able to store their stocks there instead of thermocol boxes. The drainage system is to be improved as there are some points where there is water logging,” added the minister who is also the BJP MLA from Asansol South.