Rangareddy: Fruit agents suffer as Mamidipally new market is yet to get facilities

Rangareddy: For the distressed fruit merchants, who were forced to shift their base from Kothapet Wholesale Fruit Market to Batasingaram two years ago, suffering and hardships are not yet over.

The fruit merchants and agents were in their usual business at Kothapet Fruit Market for decades but the government came-up with an idea to shift it to a more spacious location at Batasingaram a few years back, which the vendors said it is not appropriate enough to perform the trade.

Unhappy over the place being provided by the government at Batasingaram, most of the merchants approached the Telangana State Wakf Board (TSWB) for providing a suitable location to continue their trade.

Upon learning the suffering and hardships of the fruit agents and traders, the Wakf board leased out 12 acres of land at Mamidipally village near Pahadi Shareef in Rangareddy district.

Merely a stone throw away from Pahadi Shareef police station, a sprawling 12 acres of land was allocated to the fruit merchants who were displaced after the government shifted the Kothapet Fruit Market.

However, the new market area at Mamidipally is yet to be equipped with rudimentary facilities including proper parking arrangements and toilets, while the summer season is around the corner.

Soon after handing over the land, business activities swung into action at Mamidipally with immediate effects, where traders were seen performing business even before rudimentary arrangements like shades, proper parking area and toilets were provided.

It is said that there are over 125 licensed merchants who were displaced due to the governments' move.

"The traders are living through the hardships ever since they were displaced from Kothapet Fruit Market. Now, when another spell of business in summer season is approaching fast, they are in a dilemma over shifting the place as the new market at Mamidipally is not yet fully furnished with facilities including parking, proper shades and toilets for the traders, labourers and the fruit commission agents," informed a trader at Mamidipally.

Two steel shades, barely two hundred meters long, were found erected on the new site where few of the traders began their business activities. Kinnow, apples, sweet lime and a few other fruit varieties were brought to the market by a few merchants, while a huge number of traders were absent on Thursday.

"Out of over 125 licenced traders, only 20-25 vendors have turned so far towards the new location at Mamidipally, while others are yet to take their call. We are hopeful that other traders and fruit agents too will join us soon," added another merchant.