Mangalore : Mangalore City Corporation has left fishermen and other vendors, who used to function out of Bejai market, in the lurch. The vendors, who were asked to vacate the place when the construction works of the new market complex began four years ago, are forced to carry out their business on the roadside as the works are yet to be completed.

KPCC secretary Ivan D’Souza told TOI that the construction work of the highly sophisticated market complex had begun in 2008. “The city corporation had decided to construct a full-fledged market complex at Bejai in 2004.

However, the work got underway only in 2008. The inordinate delay has caused a heavy loss to MCC. In 2004, the estimated cost for the market complex was only Rs 6 crore. Now, MCC will need to shell out at least Rs 24 crore to complete the work,” he added.

He added that contractors are not willing to take up the job.

“MCC should find an immediate solution and should see to it that those who were vacated from the market be rehabilitated soon. Citizens led by Bejai Market Horata Samithi will hold a protest in front of the MCC commissioner’s office to raise their voice against the delay,” he added.

Samithi president B Ramdas Bhat said the MCC had promised to complete the works in 10 months. “They had requested vendors to carry out business from near Bejai Church. It appears that MCC is not in a hurry to address the grievance of the working class,” he added.

Recently, the samiti had held a protest against MCC’s apathy. At present, vendors are using the compound of the Lourdes Central School across the road from the place, where the market is coming up, as a make shift market.-Times of India