South India's first underground AC market opens in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: South India's first underground air-conditioned market has opened in Bengaluru.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Vijayanagar MLA M Krishnappa on Sunday inaugurated the Rs 13-crore 'Palike Bazaar', located next to the Vijayanagar metro station and the bus stand.

The market has been designed along the lines of New Delhi's famous Palika Bazaar.

The Bengaluru market, named after the 16th-century Vijayanagar emperor Krishnadevaraya, spans 1,365 square metres (136 metres long and 11 metres wide) and has a total of 79 shops.

While the market has central air-conditioning, 31 shops have their separate air-conditioning, too. Each shop gets about nine square metres of space. The project was taken up by Parichita Constructions, a private firm.

The BBMP allocated Rs 5 crore for the project in 2017-18 and released an additional Rs 8 crore in 2021-22.

While the project's first phase comprising 40 shops was completed in 2022, the BBMP did not open it because it decided to take up the second phase that involved blocking the entrance to the first phase.

The Palike Bazaar has eight entrances, 145 lights, two escalators and one lift. Fire extinguishers and a power transformer have also been installed. The project will help residents as the stretch above the underground market is well-known for street shopping.

Krishnappa said he decided to build the air-conditioned market after visiting Delhi’s Palika Bazaar.

"After the high court order, many vegetable vendors, who used to put up temporary shops on Chord Road, shifted to this place in Vijayanagar. This angered traders here as they had spent a lot of money to get trade licences and were paying rents. There was also a complaint from pedestrians as roads were occupied by street vendors. This underground market has been conceptualised to help everyone," he said.

The MLA also said funds had been provided for projects such as upgrading Kanaka Bhavan, building a sports complex at JP Park, constructing a new Ranga Mandira, Ambedkar Bhavan and Kempegowda Commercial Complex. "We are also planning to build Valmiki Bhavan and Kemegowda Bhavan soon," he said.

Siddaramaiah credited Krishnappa with the project and suggested that such underground markets be built in other parts of Bengaluru to help decongest the road surface. The Vijayanagar market will help the general public as it has a metro station and bus stand nearby, he added.