Date:08/11/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/08/stories/2006110817110400.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Koti booksellers not happy with cramped space

Staff Reporter

MCH decides to accommodate 90 shops instead of the promised 72

WIPED OUT: The day after the demolition at Koti - Photo: G. Krishnaswamy

HYDERABAD: Dissatisfaction was writ large on the faces of Koti booksellers, one day after their eviction from Sultan Bazaar as they tried to rebuild their shops at Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad's commercial complex behind Koti Maternity Hospital.

The traders were quite unsure about the near future on seeing the cramped up spaces allotted to them in the new commercial complex. Their grouse was that the MCH had left them with very little space to do business because of its decision to accommodate 90 shops instead of the promised 72.

"I have no other option but to accept whatever the MCH has to give. They had promised about 30 sq. ft. area for each shop. However we have received 20 sq. ft. They had promised us to provide a huge hall here where we can sell books under one roof but now we are cramped," lamented Shabir Khan who was among the first traders to start business at Sultan Bazaar.

The Koti subway will have 30 shops while the commercial complex will be housing 90 shops.

Traders pointed out that Koti subway would not be safe during monsoons as it would get inundated.

"They have provided big space in Koti subway but what is the use, we can't take risk by opting for the subway. So we have to adjust here and pray to God that somehow the business here takes off," said another trader Khwaja Pasha.

The traders also pointed out that there were no provisions for fire safety, independent power meters or for that matter enough parking space for book lovers.

"Each of us had paid about Rs. 32,000 to the MCH for 30 sq.ft. of space here. But we are getting less space than what we had paid for.

Apart from that, we have to pay about Rs 1,150 monthly rent to the MCH," said G. Santosh Kumar.