Sisodia meets members of Delhi market associations, seeks suggestions for upcoming budget

New Delhi, Feb 19 (PTI) Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia held a stakeholder meeting with market association representatives on Sunday to seek suggestions for the city government’s upcoming budget.

Sisodia said the markets of Delhi are the backbone of the capital’s economy, and working to increase opportunities for them is the government’s priority.

During the meeting, representatives of market associations demanded special packages for their markets and sectors in the budget, including parking spots, pink toilets, and cleanliness of markets and roads.

Representatives of more than 15 market associations related to textile, paper, automobile, among others participated in the meeting.

Delhi Transport and Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot and Chamber of Trade and Industries Chairman Brijesh Goyal were also present during the meeting.

Interacting with the representatives, Sisodia, who also holds the finance office, said it is his priority to make the budget along with the stakeholders.

“The Delhi government is conducting various meetings with the market associations and understanding their expectations so that provisions can be made in the budget regarding the same,” he said.

Sisodia added the markets of Delhi are the backbone of the capital’s economy, and working to increase opportunities for them is our priority.

“Our markets generate various job opportunities and revenue in huge numbers. In such a situation it is the responsibility of the government to understand their requirements and develop better facilities for them. This will help the markets attract more customers and business opportunities,” he said.

CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal said, “Following a unique tradition, the Delhi government always prepares the budget only after consulting the businessmen of the city so that the ground problems of the markets can be addressed.

“The meeting held today has also been very positive and Finance Minister Manish Sisodia heard the demands of traders of all sectors and has assured to provide them in the budget. We hope that like every year, this year too their suggestions will be included in the budget.”

One of the major demands of the market association was to establish a better road network around various godowns located in outer Delhi.

Taking quick cognisance, Sisodia instructed officials to conduct a survey and prepare a blueprint to establish a better road network, a statement said.

After the completion of this survey, the work of road construction will start there soon, and lakhs of traders will be benefited from this, it said.

The representatives of Naya Bazar, Rohini and Model Town Market Association raised a demand to solve the problem of cleanliness and parking in the market, the statement said.

The deputy chief minister directed officials to identify sites for parking in these markets. Sisodia also instructed MCD officials to identify the reasons behind the non-commissioning of four-storey multilevel parking in Model Town and start the work immediately, the statement said.

During the meeting, the president of the Kashmiri Gate Market Association apprised the minister about problems related to public toilets, ladies’ toilets, parking and sewer in the Kashmiri Gate auto-spare parts market.

Sisodia said the government would include a plan to develop basic facilities in the market in the upcoming budget, it added.

The Delhi government’s vision is to develop Kirti Nagar as a grand furniture hub. Kirti Nagar market is also included in the Delhi government’s project of redevelopment of five markets of Delhi.

During the meeting, Sisodia said the work on the designing phase of this project had been completed, and work on the ground level will start soon. Along with this, keeping in mind the demand of the traders, the government is also mulling over an idea to construct an exhibition hall here, according to the statement.

The common demand of many market associations was cleanliness and women’s toilets in their markets, it said.

Representatives of Chawri Bazar, Kashmere Gate, Naya Bazar, Karol Bagh, Kirti Nagar, Rohini, Model Town, Moti Nagar, and Khari Baoli market association were also present at the meeting.