Inaugurated but unfinished, Feroke’s fish market lies idle

Feroke:Inaugurated ahead of the local body elections, the fish market cum shopping complex in Feroke remains shut months later with key infrastructure still incomplete.

Construction of the building began in March 2024 using Rs 85 lakh allocated under a multi year plan. Although a two storey structure has been completed within the sanctioned funds, essential facilities such as water supply, electricity and waste management are yet to be put in place. Despite this, the market was inaugurated on November 1 last year, but has not been made operational so far.

The building can be made operational only with additional funding, but the process to secure this has been dragging on. The new structure was built after demolishing the old market building, which had 14 shop-rooms attached to the fish market. Traders were evicted from the old building in 2022 with assurances that the new facility would be completed within one and a half years. However, even after four years, construction remains incomplete. Traders who have vacated their shops trusting the municipality are now struggling to continue their business without proper facilities.

In the absence of a functioning market, the town currently lacks proper arrangements for fish and meat sales. With no alternative, vendors are currently selling fish temporarily in front of the new building. The original plan was to house the fish market on the ground floor and a shopping complex on the upper floor, with provisions for selling fish, meat and vegetables, along with facilities to ensure hygiene and vehicle parking. However, timely completion of the project has not been achieved.