Rs 4.26-cr dues: HSVP to shut mandis in P’kula

Sanjay Bumbroo

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, February 16

As the sword of Damocles hangs on Apni Mandis in the city due to failure of the market committee to clear an outstanding payment of Rs 4.26 crore, the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) now mulls over allowing Vita booth owners to sell vegetables also so that people do not face problem following the discontinuation of Apni Mandis.

Ashutosh Rajan, Estate Officer, HSVP, and Chief Executive Officer, Dairy Development, held a meeting with Vita booth owners and sought their opinion on selling fresh vegetables and fruits at the booths. He said he had already sought permission of the Administrator, HSVP, to stop 

Apni Mandis organised on its land.

It is pertinent to mention here that in September 2014, the HSVP had sent a notice to the market committee to deposit Rs 4. 26 crore, plus service tax as applicable, as dues of the rent collected from Apni Mandi vendors. The authority had also sent a reminder in January last year.

The rates had been approved by the Chief Administrator, HSVP, and the ground rent for Apni Mandi per day was Rs 30,000. For the past several years, the market committee had been collecting Rs 50 to Rs 100 per day from vendors/farmers as fee. However, it had not been depositing it with the HSVP for the past couple of years.

Rajan said as people in the city, especially senior citizens, would face problems in buying vegetables and fruits, they had sought suggestions from the Vita booth owners on selling these. He said he had also convened a meeting in this regard next week, following which a final decision on the issue would be taken.