Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh): Traders in Patni Bazaar and Gudri Chauraha shut their establishments on Monday, protesting the proposed widening of the Mahakal Chauraha-Qumari Marg road to 15 metres. The shutdown during the busy trading season disappointed customers, many of whom returned empty-handed.
The controversy erupted after authorities marked buildings for demolition up to four metres on either side of the road late on Saturday night. Angry traders approached Municipal Corporation speaker Kalawati Yadav on Sunday and warned of a shutdown unless the proposed width was reduced.
Markets from Mahakal Chauraha through Gudri and Patni Bazaar to Gopal Mandir remained closed on Monday. The Traders and Residents Federation called for an indefinite shutdown.
While flower vendors and puja material shops operated, jewellery and utensil markets remained closed. Traffic movement remained largely unaffected.
Traders claimed the existing road was 40 feet wide, compared with 50-foot roads being developed elsewhere, while the proposed width in Patni Bazaar was 68 feet.
Nearly 70% of traders fear losing their establishments, threatening hundreds of livelihoods. Following the tender's issuance, public representatives had assured traders that no action would follow without consultation and a mutually acceptable solution.
Jewellery traders demanded traffic regulation instead of demolition, blaming e-rickshaws for daily congestion.
Traders said the market generates around Rs 3 crore daily. Many shops are only 10 to 15 feet wide, and losing 10 to 12 feet would make business operations impossible.
They expressed willingness to suspend business for two months during the Simhastha Mahaparv but opposed permanent displacement.
The Traders' Federation urged the administration to streamline traffic rather than widen the road, saying development should not render traders unemployed.
