Residents get only potatoes, onions as veggies supply hit

Sameer Singh

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, March 26

The district administration may have been making tall claims of providing vegetables on the doorstep of residents, but the ground reality tells a different tale altogether. Many residents on Thursday received only potatoes, tomatoes and onions in the name of vegetables.

Residents in most parts of the city said they were not provided with vegetables. They added that it was not possible for them to eat onions and potatoes every day.

Talking to Bathinda Tribune, Jasmeet Singh, a resident of the Railway Road area, said, "What is the point of delivering vegetables on our doorstep when there is hardly any vegetable available with vendors? It seems that the administration is making all-out efforts to provide essential items to residents amid curfew restrictions, but lack of preparedness is clearly visible. People cannot just eat potatoes in all their meals.”

NK Gosain, another resident, said, “The delivery of vegetables on the doorstep is indeed a praiseworthy move of the administration, but it fails to serve its purpose since residents have been getting only potatoes and onions in the name of vegetables.”

Harjinder Singh, a resident, said after spotting a vegetable vendor in his area, he had heaved a sigh of relief. But he was disheartened after seeing that the vendor had only potatoes and onions.

Residents in some areas, especially across the railway line and old city area, also complained of being charged extra for vegetables by vendors. They demanded that the administration must ensure that vendors do not mint money by exploiting the curfew situation and charge residents exorbitantly for vegetables.

They demanded that the administration must appoint at least one person for every area to ensure that they get good vegetables at a fair price.

When contacted, Manohar Kumar, president of the Arhtiyas Association of Vegetable Market, Bathinda, said, “After the supply of vegetables stalled amid curfew restrictions, only potatoes, tomatoes and onions are left in the stock. Transporters or zamidaars from other parts of the country, including Bikaner, Jaipur, Gujarat, Malerkotla and Patiala, have not been supplying vegetables due to curfew restrictions and lockdown. But, we are in touch with suppliers and after they get their curfew passes, the supply of vegetables will be resumed.”