60% of veggie mkts built by SMC remain unused

Surat: The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has been constructing a food plaza and a vegetable market in every zone of the city. At times, it has even built more than two markets in a zone. Sadly, more than half of these vegetable markets remain unutilized. SMC has built 48 vegetable markets and two mutton markets. Seven vegetable markets have been built in north zone, nine in south zone, five in west zone, eight in east zone, six in central zone, nine in Limbayat zone and four in Athwa zone. Two mutton markets were built in central and Limbayat zones.
A female vegetable vendor from a village in Olpad said, “If I go to the market built by SMC, I won’t be able to sell even half of my vegetables. I am able to sell all my vegetables within a couple of hours standing on the road.”
These vendors run the risk of their carts and vegetables being seized by the civic body, yet they don’t want to go to the vegetable markets.
“More than 60 per cent of these markets remain unutilized. It is difficult for people to reach the markets without their vehicles. However, majority of nukkad markets are accessible to people,” a civic officer said.
These markets were constructed to stop encroachments upon footpaths and provide vendors a place to do business. But that objective has failed because vegetable vendors continue to occupy footpaths in Vesu, Bhagal and Palanpur Patiya.
by via Surat News, Latest Surat News Headlines & Live Updates - Times of India