Haryana: Supply hit as vegetable traders go on strike

Karnal, December 20

On the call of the Haryana Vegetable and Fruit Arhtiyas Association, fruit and vegetable traders and vendors in Karnal and Kaithal districts went on a strike today, protesting the issuance of a notification by the Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board (HSAMB), imposing a lump-sum fee on dealers across the state.

The strike affected the supply of fresh produce to both cities, leading to a rise in the prices of fruits and vegetables in the retail markets.

The traders and vendors are unhappy with the notification and the decision to not withdraw 1 per cent market fee and 1 per cent Haryana Rural Development Fund (HRDF) imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic. “The state government had imposed a 1 per cent tax of each market fee and HRDF during the pandemic, and had promised to revoke it later. The government has now increased the licence fee by fixing slabs,” said Narinder Kumar, secretary, Karnal Sabzi Mandi Fruit Association.

They demanded that the government should roll back the hike in the market fee and withdraw the fee and HRDF imposed earlier.