Fruit merchants observe bandh

Vijayawada: Trading activity at the Mango market, Kedareswarapet, crippled here on Thursday as the fruit merchants observed bandh protesting against the raids conducted by officials on the fruit shops for the last few weeks. The officials are conducting the raids and collecting the samples to the test the quality of fruits as the use of carbide for artificial ripening has increased in the state.
The Government has banned the use of carbide for artificial ripening of fruits. But, there are many allegations that the traders are using carbide for artificial ripening of fruits. The traders are denying these allegations.
Nearly 1,000 fruit traders including wholesale and retailers participated in the rally taken from fruit market to Prabhas College in Kedareswarapet on Thursday. Wholesale traders in the fruit market closed the shops since morning and observed bandh till evening. Hundreds of fruit traders in different parts of the city also closed the shops and joined the bandh.
Speaking on the occasion, Sk Moulali, the president of the wholesale fruit merchants association said the business was badly affected due to raids conducted by officials on the fruit shops. He said all traders don’t use carbide for ripening of all varieties of fruits. He said black grapes, pomegranate, oranges need not require carbide for ripening. He said the traders are panicked with the raids and appealed to the Government to stop the raids saying that all traders don’t use carbide. He said thousands of families depend on the fruit business in the district and they would suffer if the business was crippled further.
N Chiranjeevi, the association secretary, said the farmers would also suffer huge loss if the traders stop doing fruit business. He has appealed to the Government to find a solution to the problem. He said some fruits like mango needs artificial ripening to get the colour and the Government has to suggest alternative solution for it. He said all traders would stop business if the raids continue on the fruit shops. He said the Government was blaming only fruit traders though the pesticide was used by farmers to protect the crop from pest and insects. He said it is incorrect to blame only fruit traders and not taking action on the farmers for using harmful pesticides or insecticides.
The association leaders G Venkateswara Rao, R Mohan and others participated in the rally. The association leaders submitted a representation to the District Collector Babu A, Sub-Collector N Srujana and West Assembly constituency MLA Jaleel Khan and requested the latter to resolve the problems being faced by fruit merchants.