Wholesale vendors in APMC incur loss of more than Rs 50 lakh

With heavy rain washing away vegetables and fruits, wholesalers in APMC yard have incurred a loss of more than Rs 50 lakh.

"The district administration should compensate the loss incurred by traders," president of the nine-member fact-finding committee, set up by District Congress Committee (DCC), Abdul Rauf urged on Tuesday.

The wholesale vendors from Central Market were shifted to APMC yard in Baikampady without providing any basic facilities. The traders were forced to carry out their activities in open ground without a roof over their head. As a result, vegetables and fruits were washed away in the waterlogged ground, he told reporters.

Water gets stagnated in APMC yard. After the rain, the entire area was filled with slush.

"There is no proper water, toilet, street lights and drainage facilities. Snakes, including cobra and python menace, is on the increase in APMC yard, he said.

The wholesalers were shifted to APMC yard after being accused of not maintaining social distancing in the Central Market.

"But social distancing norms are not being adhered to at the APMC yard as well. The lack of cleanliness might result in the spreading of contagious diseases,” Rauf added.

Wholesale traders in Bunder should have been shifted to APMC yard and not vegetable and fruit vendors, Ashraff declared.

He accused the district administration and elected representatives, especially, MLAs Vedavyas Kamath, Dr Bharath Shetty and MP Nalin Kumar Kateel of failing to take all 60 corporators into confidence before shifting traders to APMC yard in Baikampady.

"As Central Market comes under MCC jurisdiction, the issue should have been discussed with all corporators," he stresses.

As a result of shifting the market to APMC yard, many illegal markets had come up on the roadsides at different parts of the district. Instead of travelling to Baikampady, many trucks had been unloading vegetables in these illegal markets.

Committee member and former mayor Shashidhar Hegde said, “The entire issue of shifting traders shows a lack of experience within the elected representatives."

MLA Dr Bharath Shetty said that godowns were earmarked for traders at APMC yard in Baikampady. The fruit vendors were using the godowns. It was vegetable vendors who themselves had taken permission to carry out business on the front portion of the APMC yard.

The district administration has given all facilities to the traders. As monsoons are fast approaching, vegetable vendors should use the godowns, he said.