Arhtiyas threaten strike over hike in market fee

Tribune Reporters

Sonepat, December 16

Enraged over the increase in market fee by the Haryana State Agriculture Marketing Board (HSAMB), arhtiyas today threatened that they would observe a strike by closing vegetable markets across the state on December 20.

They held a meeting at the vegetable market on Kami Road here in which the decision was taken. The arhtiyas also warned that they would surrender their licences and if the government didn’t withdraw its decision, the vegetable markets would be shut indefinitely. However, the Secretary, Market Committee, tried to pacify the commission agents, but they remained firm on their demands.

Lalit Khatri, President, Sonepat Fruit and Vegetable Commission Agents’ Association, said there was no market fee for the arhtiyas between 2014 and 2020. Now, the government had increased the market fee and directed the agents to pay in advance from December 1.

A delegation of the commission agents met the Chief Administrator of the HSAMB on December 13 and demanded waiving-off of the market fee, but they didn’t get any assurance from him, Khatri said. The arhtiyas also met Congress MLA Surender Panwar and submitted a memorandum. They appealed that the issue be raised in the Assembly session. Manoj Kumar, an arhtiya and former councillor, said, the decision of increasing the market fee was forcibly imposed on the commission agents and it would not be tolerated.

BJP leader and former media advisor Rajiv Jain assured the arhtiyas that the issues would be brought in the knowledge of the government and resolved accordingly.

Meanwhile, Sonu Chhabra, president of the New Vegetable Market, Rohtak, said the state authorities had agreed to withdraw the notification, but it was not done. “The notification is unjust and we oppose it. It should be withdrawn in the larger interest,” they said.