VIJAYAWADA: Florists at Rajiv Gandhi Wholesale flower Market in Vijayawada have clearly enunciated that they will approach the High Court if the State Government forcibly evicts them from their current location to develop Krishna River Front Development project, without providing an alternative.
It may be recalled that during Krishna Pushakaralu 2016, the florists temporarily shifted their business to a land near Kandrika area from the existing location adjacent to Pandit Nehru Bus Station (PNBS) and faced acute losses due to lack of proper transportation.
“The flower market has grown much bigger since 2004 when it was relocated from Panja Centre to the existing premises near PNBS. Flower merchants fear that shifting the flower market from the existing premises to another location will cause inconvenience to farmers as they would have to bear additional transportation cost. The farmers would be forced to increase the prices,’’ said S K Jani, president of Wholesale Flower Market Association.
The vendors involved in the flower business for decades and farmers find it easier to transport flowers from the fields to the existing wholesale market near PNBS. Right now, retail flower sellers from Guntur, Prakasam, East and West Godavari districts come here and buy flowers. If the market is shifted to another location, farmers and flower vendors would find it difficult to transport flowers in the early hours or after 7 pm due to rise in traffic congestion in the city, he said.
A representation has already been submitted to CM Chandrababu Naidu by the association to withdraw the proposal to shift the market. “Incase the government stands firm on shifting the market, it should construct a market complex in an ideal location to protect the interests of flower vendors and farmers,’’ added Jani.
VMC officials said following the orders from Naidu to develop greenery on the existing market premises, the civic body passed a resolution to shift the market to Ajith Singh Nagar during a council meeting in 2016.
“Around `1.95 crore is required to construct partition walls and shutters for the shops at the newly identified land in Ajith Singh Nagar. The corporation is exploring possibilities to take up the construction works with general funds of VMC,’’ said a senior official who did not wish to be named.
Sprawling flower market near PNBS
8,207
sq ft market area
84
shops in the market
8,000
lives dependent on the market