Market Yard new building construction delay escalates cost to ₹126 crore

The Market Yard flower building development project has been pending for seven years even though two administrators have served two terms. The building’s project cost, which was originally set at ₹54 crore in 2016 but has since increased to ₹126 crore due to the delay, said officials.

Trader communities and farmers believe that though an elected board is now in place, they are yet to see a major boost to the slow-moving building construction work.

The delayed construction work has been attributed to three factors: delay in getting requisite permissions, administrative apathy in the past and opposition by a section of traders.

As many as 435 florists will be given stalls inside the new complex while there were around 273 stallholders in the old building. Approximately 235 persons are in the queue for their allotments in the new building.

According to the Flower Sellers Association, the place where the flower market is currently functional the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) too earns a very meagre income from the flower sale at the market. It would take a long time to recover the amount invested in the construction, some traders said.

Rajaram Dhondkar, APMC secretary, said that the building construction work will be completed at the earliest.

“The work will be completed in the next five to six months. After that, based on the government rules, the board of directors will decide on leasing spaces inside the building through an auction method,” he said.

Arun Veer, president of Akhil Pune Phul Bazar Association (flower traders association), said that the flower market is scheduled to be located on the sixth floor and customers cannot reach the place easily as it is at a higher location.

“It would lead to the occupation of the space beneath by unauthorised vendors. We want the market to be around 300 square feet. The previous administrators did not take us on board while taking the decision and hence we are opposed to relocating to the new flower market,” he said.

Other features of the new flower market include a modern auction hall, export facility centre, cold storage on every floor, grading parking system, etc.

While some traders have demanded a survey before the project takes off. Their other demands include the installation of power meters, spaces must be allocated for 30 years based on the contract, they should be provided with canopy or shed for monsoon season etc.