Visakhapatnam: Shandies to paint a fresh look in Agency areas
A deserted shandy at Ananthagiri mandal in Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam: Shandies that dot the Agency areas will soon be developed as Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) has come up with a proposal to carry out a survey on the existing infrastructure and chart out a strategy to work towards its betterment.
These shandies are the main market source for the locals to sell the produce and eke out a living.
ITDA Project Officer Salijamala Venkateswar mentioned that the development work will be carried out at a cost of Rs 5 crore.
For many tribals, shandies are the only source of market to sell their produce. Absence of transport facilities in various Agency areas makes the tribals depend on the shandies to exhaust their produce. However, the shandies that dot the hamlets do not have basic amenities.
Turmeric, pepper and other crops cultivated in these areas are often sold in open markets and through the cooperative agencies with the support of the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED). For the tribals who are largely dependent on the local markets, their produce fails to fetch good price.
Though the city markets offer them better pricing, accessing them turns out to be a challenging task for the farmers as it involves additional cost such as transport.
Though sheds have been installed in some of the Agency areas for the farmers to sell their produce, lack of maintenance and proper ventilation and other amenities push the farmers to opt roads in order to sell their produce. "Shandies' development should not be confined to erecting sheds. A ground report following interaction with the farmers and understanding their requirements is the need of the hour. The infrastructure should be enhanced based on the report submitted, consulting the stakeholders," opines K Govinda Rao, member of the fifth Schedule Practice Committee Andhra Pradesh Tribal Association.
According to the ITDA officials, each shandy will be developed based on the requirement to help farmers sell their produce, creating a conducive environment.