BBMP’s hitech underground AC market Palike Bazar at Vijaynagar in Bengaluru occupied by ‘unauthorised vendors’

Built at a cost of ₹13 crore, the market is designed to accommodate 79 stalls, including 31 air-conditioned units.

Although the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has yet to issue a tender for auctioning spaces at Palike Bazar at Vijayanagar, the underground market — modeled on New Delhi’s iconic Palika Bazar — has already been taken over by over 25 vendors without any official allotment from the civic body.

Palike Bazar, a high-tech and air-conditioned market, was opened to the public in August 2024, six years after the civic body announced the project. Built at a cost of ₹13 crore, the market is designed to accommodate 79 stalls, including 31 air-conditioned units. However, just six months after its inauguration, the market has become a haven for at least 25 ‘unauthorised occupants’.

Anand, a street vendor on Vijayanagar Service Road (Ward 123), told The Hindu, “We have been waiting for the BBMP to allocate space to vendors operating on the service road for decades. I have been running my business here for over 30 years. In 2021, the BBMP conducted a survey and identified 30 vendors, but none were allotted space in the underground market.” He further pointed out that the vendors currently operating inside the market are from outside the Vijayanagar area, and that none of them had stalls on the service road or in nearby locations.

Documents accessed by The Hindu reveal that in January this year, the Zonal Commissioner (South) wrote to the Executive Engineer (EE), directing the initiation of a tender process for auctioning the market spaces. However, even after two months, no auction has been held.

The vendors occupying the market claim that their presence is not unauthorised, as local BBMP officials permitted them to operate.

Ramesh S., a vendor selling vegetables and fruits, said, “On the directions of local leaders, we obtained permission from the BBMP to set up our shops. There are over 25 of us in the market, and all have been allowed to vend.”

When asked about the tender process and rent payments, Mr. Ramesh responded, “I have not been informed by the BBMP about any tender, and I cannot disclose details about whom we are paying rent to.”