103 shops, none open: Ulubari GMC market still shut months after inauguration
With shutters still down, traders say the market exists for photo-ops, not people
The GMC market in Ulubari-Sarania stands lone and empty (Photo: @jayanta_malla / X)
The much-hyped Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) market complex at Ulubari-Sarania — built to provide a permanent roof for hundreds of small traders — has turned into a lifeless structure just months after its grand inauguration.
Though the building stands ready with shiny shutters and tiled floors, not a single shop has opened for business. The delay has left traders frustrated and residents puzzled over when the long-promised shift to an organised urban market will become a reality.
Inaugurated on May 13 by PHED Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah and Guwahati Mayor Mrigen Sharania, the market was projected as a milestone in boosting local commerce.
The facility has space for 103 shops, benefitting an equal number of families — many of whom have spent decades working from makeshift roadside stalls with little to no infrastructure.
After years of delay, the ribbon-cutting ceremony had brought hope. Minister Mallabaruah described the complex as the “long-awaited dream of local residents,” noting that the project had been stuck since 2014 due to various hurdles.
PHED Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah and Guwahati Mayor Mrigen Sarania inaugurating the GMC Ulubari-Sarania market in May (Photo: @gmc_guwahati / X)
He also announced that similar markets in Beltola and Ganeshguri were in the pipeline to further uplift Guwahati’s trading infrastructure.
However, on the ground, traders say the new complex feels more like a locked showroom — “opened for the cameras but not for business”.
“The government built this market beautifully but hasn’t shifted any shop there yet. Nothing has moved forward. Government things take time — a long time to process,” says Subrata Dutta, who runs a stationery stall nearby.
Shopkeeper Raju Das shares the frustration. He says shops were allotted weeks ago, but the wait continues.
“The market is ready and we have our keys, but shifting hasn’t happened. We’re told it will be done in a few weeks. They say some shop owners are not in Guwahati, so we must wait for everyone. But it’s been months already,” he says.
Several vendors claim the delay isn’t just about absentee allottees or slow paperwork — they suspect politics is at play.
“This market is stuck because of politics,” says a grocery shopkeeper who has run his small business from the same patch of pavement for decades.
“Some leaders want credit for the project, others don’t want their rivals to get the limelight. Meanwhile, we are the ones suffering,” he adds.
The irony, locals say, is that the new market complexes represent exactly what the city needs — proper infrastructure with sanitation, parking, and organised stalls that benefit both vendors and buyers.
Yet, if the shifting process remains stalled indefinitely, these structures risk becoming “white elephants” — empty buildings with no livelihoods inside.
For traders, the stakes are high. Many have invested decades in their small businesses, hoping that a permanent market space would finally bring dignity, security, and the opportunity to grow.
“We run our shops from tiny sheds that we rent. We were so happy that we’d finally have a clean, proper space. But this has turned into another waiting game,” says Raju.
PHED Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah inspecting the Ulubari-Sarania GMC market (Photo: @mrigen_sarania / X)
Customers are equally puzzled. “When they inaugurated it, I thought we’d finally get a nice place to shop. But it’s still locked. The traders are outside, the market is inside — what’s the point?” says a local resident.
Such stories aren’t unique to Ulubari. Traders fear that other upcoming GMC markets in Beltola and Ganeshguri could meet the same fate — grandly inaugurated but left empty, while old, disorganised roadside stalls continue to operate in poor conditions.
Their plea is simple - end the delays, cut through the politics, and let them get back to what they do best — running honest businesses that support families and the local economy.
Until then, Guwahati’s new GMC markets remain just empty buildings — stark reminders that cutting a ribbon is only half the job done.