Peshwa-era bazaars to return in a modern avatar

“The weekly market on the lines of athavada bazaar is among many other initiatives that would be introduced in the hawkers policy,” said Pravin Ashtikar,PMC deputy municipal commissioner. He said this would help in reintroducing the age-old concept of weekly market wherein trade will be allowed once a week during specific hours.

“The licenced hawkers will be allowed to sell their products during a specified time,” said Ashtikar,adding that the city had weekly market at various places but only Juna bazaar continues to function while others have closed down.

Historian Avinash Soni said the city has been a major trade centre for ages and this led to weekly markets springing up across the city,something that continued till the end of the British era. The concept still continues in rural parts of the district,but lost ground in the city after permanent daily markets came up,he said.

“The different Peths (named after all days of the week) of the old city started being identified on the day they had weekly markets. The places still retain their names,” Soni said. The PMC will conduct a study and then implement this project,he said,adding that a proper place for the market and storage of goods should be made available to traders.

Ashtikar said the detailed planning for weekly market would be done after the byelaws get finalised. “We will invite historians and heritage experts while finalising the locations,” he said.

Meanwhile,the PMC has also made provisions for food courts and food plazas in its hawkers policy. The implementation of the policy would include banning of hawkers on city roads and providing them alternative platform to sell their goods. The civic body will come up with its own buildings to rehabilitate hawkers while introducing strict directions to stop illegal hawkers within the city jurisdiction.