Strike by traders at vegetable market adds to residents’ woes

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, July 18

The strike by traders at the vegetable market has added to the woes of residents. 

Now, they are visiting villages to purchase vegetable and fruits directly from farmers. The market is closed as vegetable and fruit traders have been protesting against the Mandi Board for the past three days. 

Due to the strike, traders are selling vegetables at high prices, disturbing the household budget.    

Vegetable and fruit wholesalers and retailers on Wednesday staged a protest against Punjab Mandi Board officials for giving mandi land to a private contractor for collecting user chargers.

Sanju, president of the Vegetable Vendors’ Union, said vegetable sellers from Malout, Rampura, Barnala, Abohar, Gidderbaha and Ludhiana also participated in the protest. 

He said they would continue to observe the strike till the Mandi Board cancelled the contract.  

The traders are of the view that if the private contractor was allowed to collect the user chargers, it would add to their woes. They said the contractor could charger as per his wish as he had paid Rs 40 lakh to the Punjab Mandi Board as the contractor fee.

They said at present, they were paying Rs 750 per month as user chargers to the market committee.