Hyderabad: Traders demand fruit market shift to Koheda

Hyderabad: It was a devastating situation for over 50,000 people including farmers, labourers, traders and commission agents of the iconic fruit market at Kothapet, which stood there as a prominent landmark for more than three decades.

The farmers, Hamalis and commission agents of the Kothapet fruit market, also known as the Gaddiannaram market, have demanded the State government to withdraw the proposal to relocate the market to Batasingaram, and move it Koheda as per the previous government agreement. Demanding the relocation of market to Koheda, they staged a protest at the office of the Agricultural Marketing Department in Himayatnagar on Wednesday.

A delegation of farmers, led by CPI state secretary Chada Venkat Reddy, party national executive member and ex-MP Syed Azeez Pasha, Telangana Rythu Sangham state general secretary Pashya Padma and Gaddiannaram Market Joint Action Committee convener Ashok Kumar, discussed the issue with the Director of Agricultural Marketing and submitted a representation.

Taking part in the demonstration, Chada said, "It was unfair to move one of Asia's largest fruit markets to Batasingaram, instead of constructing a new market in Koheda as promised by the government earlier. If the market is relocated, the farmers, buyers and traders will face difficulties with space crunch. While the Kothapet market is spread in 22 acres, only eight acres in Batasingaram are allocated for the market."

Chada questioned how the thousands of lorries coming into the market would park. On the other hand, the labourers have expressed concern that most of their income would have to be spent on transportation.

Addressing the protestors, Syed Azeez Pasha said, "Nearly 50,000 families are dependent on the fruit market for their livelihood and it is not appropriate for the government to take such hasty decisions and harass these families. The government should withdraw the decision immediately." Market JAC Convener Ashok said, "The Kothapet fruit market, which was already in short supply, was facing many difficulties due to lack of adequate facilities. How the traders will continue their businesses in less space? It is not appropriate to move the market to another place except Koheda."

Pashya Padma said, "There is no tolerance for causing trouble to the farmers who grow crops."

GH Fruit Market Hamali Union (AITUC) President M Praveen Commission Agent JAC leaders Kareem, Sharif, Hamali leaders Srinivas and Ramu took part in the demonstration.