Chamarajanagar: Building for village shandy stands neglected

A building constructed by Agriculture Marketing Produce Committee spending lakhs of rupees to hold village shandy  ‘grameena santhe’ still stands unused as the farmers are seen doing business every Wednesday, but on the footpath.

Negligence of the gram panchayat is said to be the reason behind the sad state of the building at Arakalwadi village in the borders of the taluk.

It was decided to construct a building at a cost of Rs 40 lakh to hold village shandy two years ago at the village development project coming under APMC purview for the benefit of farmers from Ganaganuru, Kebbepura, Arakalwadi, Chandakawadi villages.

A shed was also constructed spending Rs 12 lakh under the project at Arakalwadi near the lake bund and was even inaugurated by local leaders on August 9 in the year 2010.

Later, it was transferred from APMC to gram panchayat. But, no business was done at the place, thanks to the neglect of the gram panchayat.

The business was brisk on the first few days after inauguration selling agricultural produce and even livestock.

Now, only two farmers are selling jaggery and vegetables at the place on the footpath and no activities are reported at the shed. With no proper maintenance the sheets and the shed is turning pathetic.

The building that was constructed to help the farmers has lost its significance with no one doing business there. Terakanambi village near Gundlupet taluk is holding shandies every Thursdays and villagers surrounding Linganapura, Yanagahalli, Hosahalli, Yanagumba and Yaraganahalli are turning towards Terakanambi to sell their products.

One of the vendor Madeva said that there are no customers near the shed even if they spread shop till afternoon.

APMC president A S Theerthesh said that construction of the building is their responsibility and the onus on maintaining the same is on the gram panchayat after handing it over to them.