Gauhati High Court seeks action-taken report from GMC

Shifting of Fancy Bazar market traders

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court has directed the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) to apprise the court on June 28 about the action taken by it to implement the decision taken by its Mayor in Council at a meeting held on November 2, 2017 to shift some fish and fruit stalls from the mezzanine floor to the ground floor of the GMC market at Fancy Bazar here and also to shift some hawkers from the SS Road in Fancy Bazar to the mezzanine floor of said market complex. The court further directed the GMC to apprise the court about the current condition of the washroom/toilet in the ground floor of the GMC market at Fancy Bazar.

The court's directive came in connection with a Writ Petition and a linked petition which were filed after the GMC cancelled allotment of rooms to some traders at the Guwahati Municipality Market at Fancy Bazar and even sealed them.

During the latest hearing, the GMC's counsel informed the court that the stalls in the mezzanine floor of the GMC market at Fancy Bazar were allotted to 52 fish, fruit and egg traders who were the victims of a fire that had gutted the old market. The counsel also informed the court that out of those 52 traders, a few allottees paid their rent up to 2007 and some others paid their rent up to 2009. As on September 20, 2018, only seven traders of the mezzanine floor of the GMC market were found to have been paying their monthly rent regularly since the time of allotment in the year 2004.

It may be mentioned that earlier in March this year, the Gauhati High Court had stayed an order of the GMC whereby the latter cancelled allotment of rooms to some traders at the market in Fancy Bazar. The GMC's order had come during the pendency of an earlier petition filed by the Fancy Bazar Municipal Market Dealers Association and another party with regard to proposed increase in rent. The Commissioner of GMC, vide an order dated December 18, 2021 had sought to enhance the rate of monthly rent of rooms of the Guwahati Municipality Market to Rs 25 per square feet for the 1st and 2nd floors and Rs 38 per square feet for the ground floor. It 2004, the rate of monthly rent of the respective stalls/rooms of the market had been fixed at Rs 10 per square feet for the ground floor, Rs 7 per square feet for the mezzanine floor and Rs 5 per square feet for the first floor. Although the rent was being increased after a gap of 17 years, the petitioners submitted to the court that their business establishments had been damaged by fire in 1989 and they had been allotted rooms in the GMC market in 2004. Hence, the petitioners said, they deserve special consideration as fire-affected businessmen.

Also Read:   Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) continues street vendor eviction

Also Watch: