May 21, 2020
The committee members of the city mandi of Ludhiana, will look into the demands and submit a plan, with proper guidelines detailing the measures to be taken for managing the massive crowd in the market.
Ludhiana’s Deputy Commissioner Pradeep Agrawal has formed a three-member committee to look into the arhtiyas’ (commission agents) demand of opening the city sabzi mandi six days a week.
The move comes after market committee officials approached DC Agrawal recently. The committee members include sub-divisional magistrate (SDM, west) Amrinder Singh Malhi, additional deputy commissioner of police-1 (ADCP) Gurpreet Singh Sikand and district mandi officer (DMO) Jaswinder Dhaliwal.
DC Agrawal said, “The committee members will look into the demands and submit a plan, detailing the measures to be taken for managing gathering in the mandi.”
Weighing the complaints of crowded sabzi mandi near Jalandhar bypass, the administration had, on April 3, restricted the sale of vegetables and fruits in the mandi to three alternative days—Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Only listed suppliers, who sell vegetables to street vendors in the city’s 95 wards, were issued passes to enter the market.
Regretting the heavy losses incurred due to decline in sales, the arhtiyas have demanded that the mandi should remain operational six days a week. They also demanded that along with vendors, the customers should also be permitted inside the mandi to boost more sales.
Ludhiana Sabzi Mandi Arhtiya Association president Gurkamal Singh said, “Arhtiyas have been facing losses as vendors listed with the market committee purchase vegetables only from a select arhtiyas, as they illegally buy vegetables from other markets situated outside the city”.
“Arhtiyas also face losses as perishable items rot due to a gap of a day. They are ready to take all required precautions, but the administration should open the mandi for six days a week,” added Singh.