VIJAYAWADA:The district administration has taken a serious view of the pathetic condition in which rythu bazars are functioning. It is contemplating to overhaul all the rythu bazars.
Joint Collector Gandham Chandrudu, reviewing the performance of rythu bazars on Sunday, asked the estate officers to work with a sense of commitment to put the rythu bazars back on rails.
Chandrudu noted with concern that expenditure was more on rythu bazars than the income they were generating. It was necessary that rents and power bill amounts be collected by the third of every month to ensure that the rythu bazars have cash flow.
He wanted the officials to issue notices to those who had been allotted stalls if they were found to be not paying rent regularly. He was angry with the estate officers who had not been active in collecting rents. Another point that did not go down well with the joint collector was that though the rent was to be increased at the time of renewal of allotment every year to the farmers, nothing of the sort was happening. He was unhappy that for the last three years, rents have not bee hiked.
He wanted to know from Patamata Estate Officer why there were Rs 66,000 arrears and what he has been doing. He said if the estate officers worked sincerely and improved income, he would supply them with laptops and improve facilities at their offices.
He was very particular that sanitation should be improved in rythu bazars and that all stalls should be occupied. If unauthorised persons occupy stalls, estate officers would be liable for action, the joint collector said.