BENGALURU: As the Kadlekai Parishe came to a close on Thursday, Basavanagudi MLA Ravi Subramanya said a valuable lesson was learnt from the vendors and traders participating in the mela this year.
It was learnt that that groundnut vendors who sat on roads for close to five days, were forced to give a tax to the contractor, which ranged from Rs 5,000 to Rs one lakh, depending upon the sales made, the location where their stalls were put and the area where they came from.
He told The New Indian Express that Muzrai department and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) outsource the organising of the mela to a contractor. The contractor then auctions the areas to vendors and collects an amount as tax, but this amount does not come to the government. Infact, the contractor earns double or even triple from the sub-contracts done.
"Each Kadlekai Parishe is a learning experience and this time we have learnt about the financial harassment and problems faced by vendors, traders and farmers. The government or the BBMP or Muzrai department will not face financial losses as around Rs three lakh is invested. But this correction of not outsourcing the seating arrangements will help them, for whom the parishe is being traditionally organised. Issuing of contract will be continued for the amusements which are set up," said Ravi Subramanya.
According to BBMP officials, on an average at least one truck load of garbage was being cleared, on a daily basis, from the Parishe. On Sunday, a day before the official inauguration of the parishe, around two truck loads of garbage was cleared. On the last day of the Parishe, two compactors and five tractor loads of garbage were cleared from Parishe venue, till afternoon. Over 2000 stalls were set up this year in the Parishe by vendors from different parts of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.