IIT Mandi demands Rs 66 lakh for safety survey of Bhattakuffar fruit market

Shimla, June 23

IIT Mandi has demanded Rs 66 lakh for conducting a detailed survey of the steep hill behind Bhattakuffar fruit mandi. The amount has left APMC, Shimla, in two minds about getting the survey done from the IIT Mandi.

“It’s a lot of money that IIT Mandi is asking for. We will check with other agencies to see if the cost could be brought down a little,” said Naresh Sharma, chairman APMC, Shimla and Kinnaur. “We will take up the matter with the government as well to see how the mandi could be restored.”

APMC in two minds

It’s a lot of money that IIT Mandi is asking for. We will check with other agencies to see if the cost could be brought down. We will take up the matter with the government as well to see how the mandi could be restored. —Naresh Sharma, Chairman APMC

For the record, the fruit mandi was badly damaged in a landslide from the hill two years back. APMC, Shimla, had invited IIT Mandi team a few days back to check the stability of the hill and whether it was safe to run the market yard.

The IIT Mandi team declared the market yard unsafe for trading and gathering of people until remedial measures were taken. In the detailed survey, IIT Mandi or any other agency that the APMC chooses for the job would suggest remedial measures to make the market yard safe.

Even as the Mandi has been declared unsafe, many arhtiyas are still functioning from the damaged spot. “We are going to shut down the market yard in the sliding zone. If a portion of the market yard away from the sliding zone is found safe, we can accommodate some arhtiyas there,” said Sharma.

Sharma, however, reiterated that mandi will not be closed down altogether. “The mandi will be run from a smaller platform just below the main market yard. The arhtiyas had worked from that platform last year and I see no reason why they can’t set up shop there this year too,” he said. Some arhtiyas, however, have reservations about doing the business at the smaller platform due to lesser space.

As for the new mandi coming up in district Shimla, Sharma said the work had been allotted for the mandi at Tharmati, near Fagu, and work was in progress at the mandi being built at Shilaroo. “We will try and start trading at the Shilaroo mandi this season,” said Sharma.