Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Apr 9: Alake, one of the oldest markets in the city, has got a facelift and new building. However, the market is yet to come back to life on a full scale.

The new market building has come up a little behind the spot where the earlier market stood. The work, which started in 2016-17, was completed a year back but the market could not function there as the building was devoid of water, toilet and other basic amenities. Now, after spending Rs 30 lac additionally, it was inaugurated in October last. Still, merchants did not shift business. On January 18, a few merchants, under pressure from the city corporation, began to operate a business. The businessmen say that the market has not been business-friendly. They also say that people are not visiting the market as all the stalls have not started functioning.

The city corporation expects income of about Rs 1.2 lac per month at the average rate of Rs 5,000 per stall per month. However, this is possible only if all the 24 shops there are occupied. On the face of it, the corporation does not seem to be doing enough to attract all the businessmen into the market building.

As the market is a little inside from Kudroli main road, people do not visit the market. Business is less, and the traders feel that it would have been better if the market was nearer to the road. The market has good parking space but mostly it is occupied by other vehicles. The corporation has to look into this issue. The traders say that customers will come if the corporation ensures that all the 24 stalls are occupied.

There is a complaint that the building is not customer friendly, and there is no provision for the traders to maintain cleanliness. There is still a water shortage. At present, only 10 out of the 24 stalls have been occupied. All the six traders who were in the previous building have been accommodated in the new building. The tender was recently called to fill the other stalls.