Hyderabad: Kukatpally Rythu Bazaar works dragging on for 3 yrs

Kukatpally : Rythu Bazaars are set up in the city with the lofty objective ensuring remunerative price to farmers and provide quality and fresh vegetables to consumers at reasonable rates. Direct interface between farmers and consumers has resulted in elimination of intermediaries who eat into the profits of farmers.

Farmers are largely happy with the functioning of Rythu Bazaars, but some are not. The snail's pace of the works on new Model Rythu Bazaar at KPHB Colony, which were started in 2018, is causing untold hardships to around 400 farmers and traders.

As they were asked to vacate the old premises for taking new construction, most are scattered around different locations from Kukatpally to Hi-Tec City to eke out a living. A few even gave up and switched to other professions like running auto rickshaw. The proposed works at a cost of Rs 12 crore include a cellar parking and ground floor. The ground floor would be for vendors to sell their produce. All those who are operating earlier would be provided spaces.

Space would also be provided for grocery shops, officials had said. After creating hopes, officials dithered on completion, thus causing turmoil in the lives of those dependent on Rythu Bazaar for their livelihoods.

Some 150 farmers are operating from a makeshift location which is about 5 km away and beneath Hi-Tec City flyover. They are forced to endure vagaries of nature – hot and humid conditions or rains. They have been waiting for past 3 years for the renovation to complete.

P Nagesh, who has been in the business for 15 years, said that inadequate place and mosquito menace were putting off consumers. "Our market has been hit by the pandemic and as well as by this place. Now we sell half the usual produce as few customers come here," he said

"Before GHMC elections the officials showed us the project and promised us to give it by February. The customers are reluctant to visit the Bazaar under the flyover and a drainage there stinks all the time," said Samarasimha Reddy, a vendor who sells tomatoes. "Besides, there is a graveyard and the customers can't stand the smell of drainage, which has resulted in no sales. On Sundays, customers appear and on other days the sales hit rock bottom. If we continue in the same situation we would have to lose everything" said one Shekhar.