Truckloads of produce offloaded at Market Yard day before bandh

With political parties having called a Maharashtra bandh on October 11, to condemn the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, the Market Yard (market) saw truckloads of produce on Sunday

PUNE: With several political parties having called a Maharashtra bandh on Monday, October 11, to condemn the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, the Market Yard (market) saw heavy rush on Sunday considering it would remain closed on Monday. Earlier, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Market Yard Traders’ Association announced that the market would remain closed on Monday and appealed to farmers not to bring their agricultural produce to market.

With political parties having called a Maharashtra bandh on October 11, to condemn the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, the Market Yard (in pic) saw truckloads of produce on Sunday. (HT FILE)

On Sunday, over 1,200 goods’ trucks carrying various kinds of vegetables and grains arrived at the Market Yard market, and loading and unloading took place throughout the day. Santosh Mutha, a trader at the market, said, “As the market is closed tomorrow, we told the retailers to buy the vegetables well in advance today. The market will be completely closed on Monday and this might affect vegetable rates for a day.”

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Market Yard Traders’ Association will keep tabs on whether or not traders at the market comply with the bandh and security arrangements have been made for Monday. There are more than 1,000 traders’ shops in the Market Yard market, which is divided into separate areas for vegetables, grains, fruits, flowers and bananas. Nearly 800 to 1,000 trucks from across the country arrive at the market daily with different kinds of goods to be supplied to the city. Meanwhile, goods’ trucks that are already on their way and slated to reach Pune on Monday will be kept on hold for a day.