KENDRAPARA: Commuting on Cuttack-Chandbali State Highway no 5 becomes an uphill task on Tuesdays and Fridays when vegetable vendors of Singiri Haat encroach upon a major portion of the road.
Wholesalers buy vegetables in bulk from farmers at the market. The farmers also sell their produce directly to consumers. “We are not against the vegetable growers and businessmen. But they have no right to illegally encroach upon the state highway twice a week from morning till noon,” said Balabhadra Rout of Singiri village. He said the vendors not only park their goods vehicles on the road but also dig it often to erect makeshift tents on the days.
“The state highway is not a proper place for a vegetable market. Vegetable sellers have been causing inconvenience to pedestrians and motorists. We had complained to the district administration several times but nothing has been done to shift the vegetable market from the state highway,” said Ajit Behera, another local. He said many farmers from rural areas sell their produce directly to customers from morning till noon at the haat that lacks facilities.
On the other hand, Mahendra Sahoo, a vegetable seller of Patrapur village said, “We have no permanent space to sell our vegetables. We had urged the authorities concerned to build a market complex at Singiri village for us. But the authorities did not pay any heed to our request.”
Buyers from Kendrapara, Jajpur, Cuttack , Paradip and other places throng the haat to procure vegetables. Each day, on an average, around five to seven tonne vegetables are sold at the haat. The vegetables are directly brought from the farms by the farmers themselves, said sources.
Sarpanch of Singiri panchayat Akshya Kumar Das said, “Singiri has witnessed several road accidents due to the haat. The authorities had sanctioned Rs 20 lakh two years back from special funds of the block to build a market complex for the vegetable sellers. But the construction of the market complex is yet to start.”
ADM Nilu Mohapatra said, “It is illegal to encroach upon the state highway. The authorities will build a market complex soon to shift all the farmers from the state highway.”