Amenities elude Rampura Phul grain market

Our Correspondent

Bathinda, October 12

The Rampura Phul market committee continues to remain blind to the drinking water facility and other basic amenities despite having collected Rs 13 crore as market fees and rural development fund last year.

The grain market located in Patiala Mandi is in a pitiable condition and visitors rue lack of basic facilities despite fee being charged from them every day. The venue hosting loading activity for paddy and cotton crops these days is not being cleaned regularly with heaps of leftovers and garbage strewn all over and the place stinks.

Market committee officials simply ignore the problems. Interestingly, the committee was all set to gather more money this year as the fee was increased to 3 per cent of the stock arrival from October 1 onwards against earlier 2 per cent.

Rajesh Bansal, a commission agent, said, “There is no arrangement of basic facilities like drinking water, cleanliness, lighting and plastic sheet to cover the paddy and cotton crops. Farmers and other visitors are facing difficulties due to lack of arrangements done by the market committee officials.”

Manu Kumar, another commission agent, alleged that, “We have been suffering from these problems for the last few years and a number of times we have brought the problems to the notice of the authorities but in vain. Stray cattle and dogs roam about in the grain market. It is difficult for us to find a vacant place to load produce.

Asked about cleanliness issues, Rajnish Goel, secretary of the market committee, said, “Our responsibility was to clean the grain market only once before crop is brought to the grain market.It is not our responsibility to keep the grain market clean during the whole season.”