Traders to be relocated at new market complex
Tourism Minister Ashok Chandra Panda recently visited a new market complex nearing completion, behind the Anantavasudev Temple in the Old Town area and discussed the progress of the mega tourism development plan for the Ekamra Kshetra.
It may be noted that 58 shop owners would be allotted shops in the beautiful market complex, which is along the new road, being planned between Devi Padahara and Kotitirtheswar Lane for better circulation of traffic.
After the traders are shifted from the dilapidated Lingaraj Market Complex near the Bhajan Mandap, the old structure would be demolished creating more space for parking as during peak tourism seasons the Devi Padahara parking lot for tourist vehicles remains inadequate to accommodate all incoming ones, creating traffic problems in and around Old Town.
Secondly, the Devi Padahara area will be connected to the road connecting Garage Square and Lingaraj Temple, allowing vehicles from Puri to come directly to the parking lot and they need not jam the roads in and around the temple and Samantarapur localities.
Once the road behind the Anantavasudev Temple is complete, there is a proposal to make the road in front of the temple pedestrianised, i.e. only pedestrians would be allowed to walk down the lane.
The people, who come to the famous temple for Rs Rs prasad’’ or Rs Rs abadha’’ would have to go either from the Kotitirtheswar end or Devi Padahara end on the new road.
While the Tourism Department is funding the major infrastructure part, the entire revamp of the area would be done jointly by the Bhubaneswar Development Authority, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, Works Department, Public Health Engineering Organisation and CentralElectricity Supply Utility.
The Minister during his visit also urged all the agencies concerned to expedite the work before the World Cup Hockey and the Bhubaneswar Art Trail-2018 (BAT) as both the events are expected to attract more visitors to the city.
He also informed that the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation would run a Jatri Nivas on the second floor of the new market complex in future and for the visitors there would be two lifts at the market complex.
The ground floor and first floor would be used by traders.