BMC proposes municipal malls

Mumbai, June 5 (UNI) The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed Rs 15 crore for developing municipal malls in the budget estimates for 2007-08.

Additional Municipal Commissioner Manu Kumar Srivastava said the malls will be a service to the common man. The proposed malls will have a vegetable market, a fruit market, mega provision and departmental stores and also a hawkers area, according to the proposal.

''The cost of land will be available at less than the market rate,'' Mr Srivastava said. The BMC administration has identified ten spots in the city where the malls can come up.

The Additional Municipal Commissioner said, ''It will be like Crawford Market where you can get all the things under a single roof.'' The concept of municipal malls will be different from the usual ones in terms of costing and the things available will also be for the common man rather for the affluent few.

On the failure of the hawker mall at Plaza Cinema, Mr Srivastava said, ''The concept failed because there were only hawkers and the buyers don't go to hawkers in such malls.'' Under the new plans, there will be anchor shops which will attract the customers and the hawkers will also be benefitted.

UNI