West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday urged business houses to come forward to restore dilapidated government markets that need urgent restoration.
Inaugurating the Lake Market Mall, a joint venture between the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and a private company, Banerjee said it was a "test case" and sent a message to other industrial houses to come forward to develop similar markets.
"We want to renovate these markets to ensure their safety and security along with protection from fire hazards," said Banerjee.
With plans to convert the Lake Market into a shopping mall, the KMC in 2004 had signed an MoU with a private firm for constructing it. But the project got delayed due to various reasons including the civic body's inability to remove encroachers.
Banerjee also said in developing such markets, the state government and other agencies would ensure that hawkers are rehabilitated.
Seeking the cooperation from the common people she said that such initiatives will also help in bringing prosperity to the State.