PESHAWAR, Aug 10: Authorities in the Peshawar City District Government are unable to shift vegetable and fruit business to a market, recently constructed with millions of rupees borrowed from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Under the Agriculture Produce Market Act-1939, no authority and person is authorised to set up and use any place for the purchase and sale of the agriculture produce, sell and store other than a declared ‘market area’ notified by the government.

Despite declaring the newly-constructed vegetable and fruit market on the outskirts of the city last year by the government, the business is still going on in old markets operating at various places in the city.

Officials said the new vegetable and fruit market on the Ring Road had been constructed at an estimated cost of Rs180 million, borrowed from the ADB.

The main concept behind the shifting of fruit and vegetable business outside the city was to reduce traffic congestion.

The civil works on the market was completed in December last year, but still the markets operating inside the city could not be moved there because of the traders’ resistance, they said.

The NWFP chief secretary had instructed the market committee, comprising government officials and representatives of the business community, to shift all the existing markets to the notified market area by June 30 this year.

The district administration in line with the provincial government’s instructions had negotiations with the stakeholders and revised the cut off date by August 7, which was too passed without any compliance.

An official at the NWFP agriculture department, being regulator of the fruit and vegetable markets, informed that the government had declared the newly built market as ‘market area’ as per the law and all the existing markets operating inside the city has to be shifted there.

The official said that now it was the responsibility of the district government and the market committee to shift all the existing markets to the notified area, but it was unable in doing so.

The Peshawar DCO explained that they wanted to settle the issue amicably that was why still they avoid the option of using force against traders and vendors operating in such illegal markets because it could lead to a law and order problem in the city.

He, however, was hopeful to get a way out of the issue within next couple of days.