Despite the dissatisfaction of merchants and their two-day protest rally, the “Lola” market, which is engaged in selling automotive spare parts and home appliances, has been closed.
Merchants running their shops at this market do not want to move to a new place, including because they are not compensated.
By Kulob mayor’s order issued on May 22 the “Lola” market is closed on May 25 and merchants are proposed to move to a new market, which is located in another part of the city.
On May 25, speaking to protesting merchants, Deputy Mayor of Kulob, Manouchehr Asozoda, tried to convince them to move to the new market, noting that hat conditions in the new market are better.
According to him, the Lola market accommodates 100-150 shops, while the new market, called “Istiqloliyat” will accommodate up to 400 shops.
The Kulob authorities say the main reason for relocation of the market of automotive spare parts is the fact that it allegedly does not meet urban planning standards. Because of it, a traffic jam and spontaneous parking are created on the road.
Meanwhile, the Lola market merchants say the traffic jam is created by the neighboring “Barakat” bazaar. According to them, the “Lola” market has its own parking lot for cars, and they do not block the road.
The merchants also say they do not move to the new market because most of them do not have money to buy a shop and pay rent for a shop site.
The authorities do not intend to pay compensation for their shops at the “Lola” market but promise to provide them with shops at the new market.
The merchants running shops at the “Lola” market do not want to move to the new market, because the “Lola” market is situated in the downtown Kulob and residents used to come to this market. The merchants fear that no one will travel far to them for goods.
The new market of automotive spare parts and home appliances will be a three- or five-story building and the first floor will be given over to parking, while the rest of the floors will be used for shops.
It is still unknown when the new market of automotive spare parts and home appliances will be constructed.
It is to be noted that the “Istiqloliyat” market was built on Daminzoda Street 15 or 20 years ago, but all these years it stood idle by and large. The car market has been functioning there for the last three or four years; it has worked one day a week, the rest of the six days the territory has been empty.
