Day 2: Vegetable market remains shut

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, July 17

Irked over the Punjab Mandi Board’s decision to give the city’s main vegetable market on contract, vegetable and fruit wholesalers and retailers on Tuesday continued their protest for the second consecutive day.

The market remained completely shut for the second day and the protesters staged a protest by raising slogans against the Mandi Board officials at the vegetable market.

Even vegetable sellers of the Amrik Singh road market, Rose Garden market, Sirki Bazaar and bus stand also came out in support of main vegetable market vendors and joined the protest.

Vendors alleged that as the Mandi Board had given contractor to a private contractor for collecting user charges from them, now he would charge more from them and they had to face an economic loss.

They threatened that if the Mandi Board did not cancel this contract, then they would keep the market closed for an indefinite period.

Vendors’ association president Sanju Kumar said there were around 350 vends of retail vendors at the main vegetable market in the city and the Punjab Mandi Board had given his land to Khan named contractor at Rs 40 lakh on contract. At present, vendors were giving Rs 750 per month user charges fee to the market committee, but from July 14, they had given this land to the private contractor.

As of now, vendors were giving Rs 14 lakh per month to the market committee, then now the private contractor would take Rs 26 lakh per month more from these vendors as he had taken the contract on Rs 40 lakh per month.

Vendors alleged that they earned around Rs 200 per day and how they would pay the high user charges fee to the contractor.

They demanded that the Mandi Board should do minimal hike in the fee and a government employee should recover these fee from the vendors. They will not oppose this, but private contractor would loot by charging as per his wish and would also lead to unnecessary controversy.

It is learnt that a few years ago as well the Mandi Board had given the vegetable market on contract to private contractor, but after a protest by the vendors, the Punjab Mandi Board had to change its decision.

Jaswinder Singh, president, arhtiyas’ association, said they were with the vendors and till the time the contract system was not cancelled, the market will remain shut completely.

Residents remained at the receiving end as they did not get fresh vegetables and fruits for the second day in the city.