The building adjacent to the Krishna Rajendra Market (K.R. Market) here on Sethuram Street was demolished by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) personnel early on Thursday.
Senior officials in the BBMP told The Hindu that the dilapidated building, which was over 50 years old, housed 22 shops.
Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike had sought the opinion of Civil Aid, a private company, on whether it was safe to use the building. The consultants of Civil Aid said as the building was very old, it should be demolished.
BBMP issued notices to shopkeepers, who were initially reluctant to move out of the building, but were later convinced to cooperate with BBMP.
BBMP now plans to widen the road and develop K.R. Market, which is said to be one of the oldest in the city.
According to officials, the existing 20 ft road will be widened by 60 ft. The road would be concreted. BBMP will also utilise the space to develop a hawker zone, extend the parking facility and construct a ramp to the second floor of K.R. Market.
The blueprint for the development of K.R. Market is ready and work is likely to begin next week. “We want to widen the road to decongest the area to some extent. BBMP has also proposed to establish a crafts centre on the second floor of the market that has been lying unutilised for many years,” the official stated.
