Lajpatrai Market, New Lajpatrai Market and Pleasure Garden Market in Chandni Chowk (Delhi) should be converted in multi-storey markets as part of beautification plan of Chandni Chowk
Historic Chandni Chowk bazar of ancient era in Delhi is presently undergoing massive beautification and development plan now-a-days on war-footing. But the project will remain uncomplete till three main markets namely Lajpatrai Market, New Lajpatrai Market and Pleasure Garden Market in Chandni Chowk area are converted in systematic multi-storey markets with multi-basement car-parking.
Single-storey Lajpatrai markets (old and new) were developed beautifully with attractive stone-pillars in decade of 1950 to rehabilitate Hindu refugees having come from Pakistan-side of undivided India after independence. But thereafter regularly increasing encroachments and unauthorised construction of upper floors have not only destroyed beauty of the markets but also have resulted in haphazard burden on infrastructure surrounding Chandni Chowk.
To start with, Pleasure Garden Market should be taken over by giving alternate sites to shopkeepers in some nearing area in central Delhi. Part of land so vacated should be given to adjoining famous Gauri Shanker Temple like was huge Kotwali was given to Gurudwara Sisganj in decade of 1960. Rest of land can be converted in a multi-storey complex with multi-level basement car-parking. This complex can house much-needed government-facilities like post-office, offices of LIC of India and one each of public-sector banks and General Insurance Company and other such public-dealing government-departments.
Next phase can be converting Lajpatrai Markets (new and old) in multi-storey markets with multi-level basement car-parking. Shifting traders of these markets somewhere in central Delhi will not pose any problem because all these three markets have since become wholesale markets.
MADHU AGRAWAL