JAGATSINGHPUR: Hundreds of vegetable traders sat on a mass dharna on Sunday demanding allocation of ‘pindi’ (cemented floor) and renovation of Kujang haat. The protestors said they have to face a lot of difficulties while selling vegetables due to lack of facilities at the market. Residents of Kujang and parts of Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts depend on the ‘haat’ for fresh vegetables.
Delay in allocation of ‘pindis’ to the local traders forces them to sell vegetables in the open and the condition becomes pathetic during rainy season as the market gets waterlogged.
The protestors said the ‘haat’ also lacks proper drainage facility and water supply. In 2003, Kujang block administration had erected 19 ‘ pindis’ for the vegetable traders. The administration had assured to provide more such cemented platforms to the local traders but nothing has been done in this regard so far. The protestors alleged that some Government officials are trying to allocate the ‘pindis’ to local contractors who are engaged in the vegetable trade. A case regarding delay in allocation of the cemented platforms is pending in the Orissa High Court.
Hundreds of traders, led by Akhandalmani Vegetable Association president Sisir Kumar Das, have vowed to intensify the stir if their demands are not met.