CP circle? No, this is the redone Yusuf Zai Market

Built in 1947 as a rehabilitation market, the Yusuf Zai market in the Outer Circle of Connaught Place has undergone a major makeover, courtesy the Commonwealth Games.

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has made a new facade for the entire market. The 63-year-old market was in a dire need of repair with crumbling infrastructure.

“Jaalis have been added on the rooftops with glass show-windows on the first floor of each shop. Also, two pillars have been constructed in front of each shop to match with the unique character and architecture of Connaught Place,” said a senior NDMC official.

Presently, facade restoration work is going on in the entire CP area. The NDMC hopes to give the area a unique and new look before the Games.

Known for its crowded food joints, the market consists of 106 shops and houses several utility shops among others.

The entire cost of the project was Rs 2.5 crore.

“We wanted to redevelop the place like the Tibetan and Janpath markets with standardised sign boards and uniform look. But we faced a lot of problem in this as many shopkeepers had done

additional constructions,” added the official.

The project started one-and-a-half-years back and the cleaning process is on. NDMC will re-lay the pavement outside the market later. The market will be inaugurated on March 8.

The mammoth Rs 700-crore Connaught Place renovation and redevelopment project also includes Gole Market, Shankar Market, and Palika Bazar.