Telangana: Delay in integrated vegetable and meat market construction irks farmers

The foundation stone for the market construction was laid on March 3, 2022 and its construction was taken up by the Public Health and Municipal Engineering Department with an estimated cost of Rs.4.5 crore State grants.

Kothagudem: The delay in construction of an integrated vegetable and meat market in place of a Rythu Bazaar at the Coolie Line area in Kothagudem town has been troubling vegetable sellers.

The foundation stone for the market construction was laid on March 3, 2022 and its construction was taken up by the Public Health and Municipal Engineering Department with an estimated cost of Rs.4.5 crore State grants.

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The existing Rythu Bazaar was demolished to pave way for the integrated market and the vegetable sellers have been shifted to temporary sheds. The sellers complain that the sheds lacked minimum facilities and when it rains, water leaks damaging the vegetables.

Speaking to Telangana Today, Rythu Bazar committee office bearer Rambabu informed that prior to taking up the construction of the integrated market, officials had told vegetable sellers that they would be accommodated in the new integrated market within six months.Two years passed by, but there were no signs of completing the construction of the integrated market in the near future as the work was moving at snail’s pace. Several appeals to officials to speed up the works yielded no result, he complained.

In all, there are around 140 vegetable sellers doing business at the Rythu Bazaar and an average 70 to 80 farmers bring vegetables to the market in a day. It was proposed to construct 115 shops to accommodate the vegetable sellers.

In the summer season the farmers face a lot of trouble as the vegetables are exposed to summer heat and wither. As a result the farmers are forced to suffer financial loss. Notices have been issued to the contracting agency for delaying the works, but in vain, Rambabu said.He said that the issue would be taken to the notice of Kothagudem MLA K Sambasiva Rao soon seeking to speed up the construction work.