Vegetables supplied via buses costlier than those sold at rehris: Chandigarh residents miffed

Sector 26 mandi officials say rate cards are being attached to buses, but sellers not adhering to it

Even as supply of vegetables has improved to include most neighborhoods in the city with CTU buses being deployed for the purpose, many residents are alleging that vendors in CTU buses are overcharging customers for vegetables

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In Sector-38 West on Sunday, residents of EWS houses have accused vendors in CTU buses of overcharging for green groceries, when they found that they were quoting ₹100 per kg for ladyfingers. A resident here, Satbir Kumar, said other residents were aghast at the prices quoted by bus vendors. He said, “The cart vendor has been selling us tomatoes at ₹60 per kg for the past few days, but the bus vendors quoted ₹80 per kg. Even for ladyfingers, ₹100 per kg was too high. When residents began protesting, vendors shut shop and the bus left.”

Sachin Goyal, a resident of Milk Colony, Dhanas, said he, too, had observed the same trend. “People prefer to buy veggies from cart-vendors as the bus vendors are overcharging.”

MC leader of Opposition, Devinder Singh Babla, who is also local area councillor of ward number 18, said he had also noted a significant difference in prices quoted by cart vendors and bus vendors. “Rates need to be re-examined so people can get a fair deal during the curfew,” he said.

Officials at Sector 26 wholesale mandi said a rate card was being attached with each bus with pre-approved rates. “However, some vendors have been charging more than the approved rates specified on the ratecards,” they admitted.