Fruit Mandi Pulwama lacks basic facilities

SRINAGAR — Despite Pulwama being a hub of vegetable and fruit production in Kashmir, the Fruit Mandi Pulwama lacks basic facilities, causing immense hardships to fruit growers, traders and transporters during the peak harvesting season.

Scores of fruit growers on Monday protested against the lack of basic amenities in the fruit market. While expressing their resentment against the Horticulture Planning and Marketing Department, they said that the Fruit Mandi Pulwama has been turned into a desert as the main roads are yet to be macadamized and fencing is awaiting completion for two years.

“Fruit Mandi is our backbone and we are dependent on it. The government needs to act accordingly to strengthen it,” said Mohd Ramzan, a trader at Fruit Mandi Pulwama.

Apart from basic facilities, growers added that hundreds of license holders whose licenses have not yet been renewed. “Since the market was established here, our licenses used to get renewed every year. However, this year growers are deeply concerned here as licenses are yet to be renewed,” they added.

“Though the matter was brought to the notice of the concerned authorities, however, no action has been taken,” they said.

The growers appealed to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to intervene and ensure the availability of all basic facilities in the Mandi.

“If the administration is not going to take steps for our demands, we have to choose other ways to meet our demands. We are traders, we don’t believe in violence, we are citizens of India, we are taxpaying citizens, why are we being ignored. We request the administration to fulfil our demand at the earliest so that we can continue our business without hindrances,” they said.