8 years on, Shopian Fruit Mandi awaits up-gradation

Mir Iqbal

SHOPIAN, Nov 1: Belying its own claims of developing agro-industries in the State, the Government has failed to upgrade the fruit market in the Arhama village of Shopian district following its construction in year 2005.
Apple traders said the Government had promised to make the market into a satellite one, which would be equipped with facilities like parking space for hundreds of trucks, office for traders, residential quarters for workers, banking facility, and accommodation for outside businessmen among others.
Built over only 4 acres of land with a capacity of 110 stalls, the traders said the shortage of space for trucks and stalls have crippled their trade as it caters to hundreds of villages in the apple-rich belt of the area.
“The Government’s promises have fallen flat as nothing in this market has been upgraded. Despite competing with top markets of India to carry out the trade, the Mandi (market) has not been equipped with any of these facilities which leaves us crippled in carrying out our trade,” said
Mohammad Amin Mir, President Apple Growers and Dealers Association, Shopian.
Mir said the market could have grown into a job industry for hundreds of local youth, but the official negligence had hindered the process.
As per the traders’ estimates, the market generated more than Rs. 725 crores of money last year. “The market could generate more than this amount if it is upgraded with the facilities required for trade and transactions,” Mir said.
Fruit growers’ agents also said: “The pathetic condition of the mandi tells the story of step-motherly attitude of authorities towards this mandi. In unfair weather conditions like rains, we have to close our trade activities as we cannot load or unload the apple boxes in open sky since they are packed in cardboard boxes.”
The transporters also have to face a lot of problems due to lack of proper parking for their vehicles. “We are forced to park our vehicles on the main highway which connects district headquarter with Srinagar and that adds to chaos on the road near mandi where traffic remains stuck for hours,” said transporters.
Director Horticulture, Planning and Marketing Department, Showkat Ahmed Zarger, said why the traders could not develop the fruit market on their own as they were its beneficiaries.
“The Government has given them land for the market. Why can’t they develop it on their own by collecting funds, as they are the beneficiaries of the market? The businessmen don’t pay licence fee, market fee and even registration fee there, why will the Government develop their mandi?” Zargar said.
The director also said the department had not collected Rs 50,000 form each of the traders to get a stall, but the traders used their political approach to get a stall in the market.

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