Concern over denotification of Bunder area

The Kanara Chamber of Commerce has expressed concern over the denotification order concerning the Old Bunder Area passed by the director, agriculture marketing department, Karnataka.

The order stipulates that the merchants and their trade activities will now have to shift to the already earmarked 80 acre Baikampady area on the city outskirts.

Presenting a memorandum to M Maheshwar Rao, DC, D K district on behalf of the Khirana Merchants Association, Ahmed Bawa, treasurer, KCCI, highlighted the plight of the traders who had shifted to the Baikampady area.

A lack of basic amenities, geographical disadvantages and other severe teething problems concerning the displacement of labour would be the order of the day, he said. Further, at least 2,500 families would be left without a livelihood and the history of 500 years of trade in the Bunder area would vanish, he observed.

The chamber also asked the DC to get at least a 'temporary stay' against the order. In his reply, the DC promised the chamber that he would go into the fine print of the order before deciding on the next course of action.