Market committee issues rate list for Ludhiana vendors

While the vendors at the ward-level can keep a margin of 10% on the wholesale price, street vendors can keep 25% margin on the wholesale price (15 per cent profit)

 Amid complaints of fleecing by fruit and vegetable vendors, the market committee has issued a rate list for supply of vegetables in the city. While the vendors at the ward-level can keep a margin of 10% on the wholesale price, street vendors can keep 25% margin on the wholesale price (15 per cent profit).

The vendors have also been asked to display the rate list of vegetables and fruits on their trucks and carts. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

The vendors have also been asked to display the rate list of vegetables and fruits on their trucks and carts.

Earlier, the department had failed to announce the rate list for ward-wise suppliers, leading to confusion which in turn led to residents being fleeced.

In the first week of April, the administration had introduced ward-wise supply of vegetables and fruits to avoid crowding at the main vegetable market. Following this, it was announced that the market committee would finalise a certain margin for the ward and street vendors.

However, the committee failed to finalise their rates and only the wholesale rates for ahrtiyas and retail rates for street vendors were announced. This allowed the ward-wise vendors to supply vegetables at exorbitant prices.

Rehri Fadi association president Tiger Singh said the market committee has finally released the list for all three sectors which is good for street vendors as they were being accused of selling the vegetables at higher rates. There are still some issues related to the rate list and these will be taken up with the market committee, he said.

Ward suppliers say ahrtiyas overcharging

Meanwhile, ward-level vendors say that ahrtiyas are still overcharging them in the absence of any check by the market committee. One of the vendors said that the committee hands them over the rate list while they move out of the market after purchasing vegetables from the ahrtiyas. If we are given the rate list at the entry, we can raise the issue of rates with ahrtiyas.

Market committee chairman Darshan Lal (Laddoo) Baweja said the rate list as per the margin would be released by the mandi. The councillors and the administration officials have the duty of checking whether vendors are putting up the rate list on their carts or not.

On Saturday, the market committee caught a shopkeeper in Amarpura area for fleecing residents.