Sambalpur: Renewed Demand to Complete Golbazar Market Complex in Sambalpur; Residents Call for Immediate Action
Introduction
Sambalpur: Sambalpur city has long desired a multi-story market complex in Golbazar to reduce congestion. Although this project began over seven years ago, only the basement and ground floor have been partially completed. Thirteen months after its inauguration, it remains unusable. Local residents believe that if this complex were functional, it would not only reduce street congestion but also improve access to Golbazar’s busy streets. Therefore, they demand immediate action to make it operational.
History of the Golbazar Market Complex Project
In 2008, the current Deputy Chief Minister, Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, introduced the proposal for this complex while serving as the Urban Development Minister. However, construction only started in 2017, nearly nine years later. Although the complex was inaugurated during Ganesh Puja in 2023, it is still not operational, and the empty building has turned into a hangout spot for miscreants.
Online Sambalpur Is Now On WhatsApp!
Join us for the latest news updates delivered directly to your WhatsApp.
Subscribe Us On YouTube!
Join us for the latest news updates and video content delivered directly to you.
Structure and Delays
The plan for this market complex includes four floors, estimated to cost Rs. 40 crore. The basement is designed for parking, and various shops are already allocated on the ground floor. Plans for an upper-level vegetable market and additional shops also exist, but administrative delays have stalled the completion. Municipal Commissioner (TIC) Ashok Mishra explained that the first phase involved relocating eight shops from in front of the new complex. However, these shopkeepers have requested installations like a transformer, a gate, and asbestos roofing, which led to recent tenders being issued. Additionally, the basement often floods, and they are working to resolve this issue.
Concerns Among Shopkeepers and Residents’ Demand for Action
Due to these delays, shopkeepers doubt that business will flourish even after relocation. Despite the complex’s strategic location behind Golbazar, administrative inattention has frustrated residents. Sambalpur locals now strongly urge officials to prioritize the completion and make this large market complex functional as soon as possible.
