Yeshwantpur's APMC traders brace for move to Dasanapura market by June 1

Bengaluru: Traders at Yeshwantpur's APMC yard are being asked to vacate their shops and move to the Dasanapura market by June 1.

The move was initially proposed by the government in 2022, but faced stiff resistance from the traders. This time, traders are yet to receive an official order about the renewed deadline. "We have only heard about the new deadline through word of mouth. We have received no official order from the government," Uday Shankar, president, Onion, and Potato Traders' Association, told DH.

In 2023, the association had approached the High Court against the move. "Initially, the court had ruled in the APMC's favour, but we have challenged that. The court has summoned us to appear on June 2. So, asking us to move out just one day before that is highly unjust," he told DH.

While the APMC yard houses traders selling everything from rice to dried chillies, the order to move to Dasanapura is largely applicable to potato, onion, garlic, and ginger traders. "Trucks carrying onions block all entry points of the market and cause traffic congestion both inside the market and outside," shared a wholesale rice merchant. The vegetable traders have also been blamed for dumping waste in and around the market, leading to clogged drains.

Dheer Sona, a wholesale garlic merchant, believes it is unfair for the government to ask merchants with valid trade licences to vacate. "We have a 25-year licence to trade in this market. It only expires in 2028. Till then, we should be allowed to trade out of these premises." The traders are planning to stage a protest in the coming month.

'New market inefficient and unsafe'

Safety is one of the major concerns that the traders have about the APMC market in Dasanapura.

Yaseen, a garlic trader, recalled operating out of the Dasanapura market during the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021. "It was a bad experience as the place is isolated and highly unsafe. As a majority of our trade is cash-based, buyers were scared to travel to the market due to the fear of robbery," he said.

The traders recalled multiple instances of theft in and around the Dasanapura premises. They urged the government to establish basic facilities such as a police station, hospital, and bank near the premises.

They are also asking for shops that are bigger in dimension. "Our shops are anywhere between 1,000 and 4,000 sqft. You cannot expect us to move our business into a 600 sqft stall," added Uday.

Jagadish Kumar, a potato trader, predicted prices of produce shooting up due to the added commute. "Currently, a kilo of potato costs around Rs 17. With the additional commute, the price will go up by a minimum of Rs 4. Further, there will also be additional labour costs," he said.

The vegetable traders have been called out for dumping waste in and around the market leading to clogged drains.