Gaya: The proposed sprawling Chandauti wholesale grain and vegetable market, built over 50 acre land with aid from the World Bank, still awaits occupancy. The plan to shift the wholesale grain market from Purani Godam and vegetable market from Kedarnath Market to Bazar Samiti complex has been deferred umpteenth time.The first move to shift the wholesale market to the new complex was made in the 1990s when the then district magistrate Rajbala Verma took the initiative. But the move was subsequently thwarted by the local business community on the alibi of its remote location, poor accessibility and lack of security.
The complex is located on what was then the western outskirts of the town. In order to allay the apprehensions of the business community on the security issue, a police station was built within the premises but subsequently the shifting could not be done both on account of resistance from the stakeholders and lack of administrative or political will.The idea behind the development of the project was multi-faceted. Besides providing modern warehousing facilities to the traders, the fortified premises lessened the scope for malpractices like hoarding, black marketing, adulteration and tax evasion etc. Complaints of adulteration and production of duplicate items of established brands of soaps, detergents, hair oil etc are common in Gaya.Of late the shifting demand from the public got big traction on account of traffic jams and avoidable congestion. Just before the assembly elections, Gaya Town MLA and then the cooperative minister Prem Kumar told this newspaper that the shifting would be made within a couple of weeks.After the announcement of the election dates in Oct 2025, the premise was taken over for use as strongrooms and the shifting got deferred. In the meantime, the facility suffered on account of prolonged neglect or disuse and needed major repair.Asked about the fate of the Bazar Samiti complex and the much-delayed shifting of the wholesale grain and vegetable market, Gaya Town MLA and assembly speaker Prem Kumar said the civil work for the repair and renovation of the complex was under progress and it is likely to be completed by the Feb second week.He said, once the civil work job was completed, allotment of space would be done in a transparent and centralised manner and priority will be given to business concerns which are currently located in Purani Godam and Kedarnath market.Besides vegetables and grains, dairy and fishery business too will be relocated on the Chandauti premises and the Central Bihar Chamber of Commerce also has agreed to the shifting proposal. He said he also discussed the matter with agriculture minister Ram Kripal Yadav.
