The 85-year-old Russell Market, recently hit by a fire accident, is ready for inauguration on Monday, but Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) had not given power connection to the historic market till Sunday. Speculation was doing rounds that the Bescom’s delay is a political ploy to take over the market and build a multi-storied complex in Shivajinagar.
Nearly 40 per cent of the market was gutted in the February 25 fire. Traders, helped by External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna’s contribution of `1 crore, pooled in their own funds and rebuilt the market. But controversy has surrounded the attempts to renovate the market ever since the accident. Though Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda, who is inaugurating the market on Monday, had assured the traders that he would direct Bescom to resume power supply, the market still remained dark.
“We have renovated the market on our own, but power supply remains a concern. We cannot delay the inauguration and have hired three generators to keep the show going. The Chief Minister told us that he had asked Bescom to resume power. But when we approached Bescom officials, they said they wanted a written order from the chief minister. We showed them the newspaper clippings, but they refused to believe us,” said Choudhury Mohammed Idrees, Secretary, Russell Market Traders' Association.
The traders locked horns with the Bruhat Bangalore Mahangara Palike over the renovation as the latter had declared that the structure is too weak and should be brought down. The palike had proposed a multi-storied building with parking and other facilities for the customers. But the traders, who smelt the rat, rebuilt the market on their own.
The controversy seemed rest with the chief minister agreeing to inaugurate the market. But Bescom’s move is worrying the traders. “Some officials said some political leader did not want Bescom to restore supply to the market,” said a member of Russell Market Traders' Association, Illias Mohammed. “Only, 40 per cent of the market was burnt and the rest is fine. Why then Bescom cannot provide power? It was clearly mentioned that the cause of fire at the market was not because of a short circuit,” said a trader, Rafiq Ahmed.