Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jun 8: During the lockdown period, the district administration had succeeded in getting wholesale vegetables and fruits traders conducting business at central market here to Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) yard at Baikampady. The city corporation had sighted their plan to construct a new central market building with enough facility for parking and to maintain social distance, to coax the traders to shift their business at APMC yard at Baikampady.

These merchants want to come back to central market building and resume their business here. The city corporation officials have taken the stand that they cannot be allowed to do this, as court case on the issue is pending.

Central market (file photo)

The wholesalers argue that they were shifted during the lockdown, and now all lockdown restrictions are being removed and therefore they plan to conduct business at the central market from June 9 onwards. President of Central Market Merchants Association, M Mustafa Kunhi, confirmed about the plans to shift business to the central market. He claimed that the wholesale vegetable traders were temporarily shifted to the said yard at Baikampady three months ago and so far, no facilities have been provided there. "Though we extended support and cooperation to the district administration, our gesture is not reciprocated. The court has stayed shifting of the market, which we will place before the officials and begin our business from the central market. There is no problem for the wholesale business going on outside the market," he said.

Ganesh Poojary, another businessman, complained that the entire APMC yard area turned into a slushy field after the first rain of the season. He pointed out the vegetables had been washed away. "Now the same has been shifted to APMC godown. But there too, no one can move around due to slush after rain," he claimed.

Deputy commissioner of the city corporation Dr Santhosh Kumar, said that the merchants had approached the court. He said that the high court has not issued any stay order. He said that shifting of business will tantamount to violation of court order. If business is started here, it will go against the businessmen as the fact will be placed before the court," he stated.