Rourkela: The Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) has distributed shops to 111 beneficiaries in the ultra-modern shopping complex at Panposh. A piece of news in this regard was published in Orissa POST, June 19. The beneficiaries got their shops in the first phase through a hurriedly called lottery, which was held Tuesday evening on the library premises of Udit Nagar. Four beneficiaries who opted out of this would get shops of their choice on the first floor soon. The lottery was done with total transparency in the presence of RMC Commissioner Subhankar Mohapatra and other senior officials. Either the owner or anyone authorised by him participated in the lottery. The market complex was initiated by the then Congress government in 1985 with 36 shops on each floor of the building. But, given the quality of construction, the condition of the shops started deteriorating and became inhabitable by the mid90s.
A new complex close to it was constructed by the then-Janata government taking the number of shops to 150. However, due to poor quality work and lack of maintenance, the condition of the shops started deteriorating again. In fact, the 36 shops on the first floor became hazardous for any activity and some of them were abandoned. The shopkeepers’ association continued to draw the attention of the then-Rourkela Municipality.
Meanwhile, Rourkela became a part of the smart city project. The decision was taken to construct a modern shopping complex and it was said that top priority would be given to the original shopkeepers and then to others. President of the market committee Umakanta Pandey said, “We are happy that finally, the beneficiaries have got their shops.”