KASUR: The Chunian tehsil administration has failed to shift businesses to the new site of the fruit and vegetable market and old and new markets are working simultaneously in Allahabadas the powerful commission agent mafia and political intervention have created divisions among the traders regarding shifting to the new site.

Traders are unwilling for the shift despite the tehsil administration’s fulfillment of its promise of provision of facilities.

Fruit and Vegetable Market President Chaudhry Muhammad Munir and 22 other commission agents have shifted their set-ups to the new market some days back while their rival group, including former president Chaudhry Muhammad Rafiq and 15 other commission agents, are running their businesses in the old market.

The new fruit and vegetable market is situated on the Kasur-Allahabad Road, about one kilometre from the old market on Chunian-Allahabad road. The old market is situated on a private land and it was sealed in 2009 when Abdul Jabbar was deputy commissioner.

Many commission agents and shopkeepers have refused to go to the new market and they made announcements in Allahabad on a moving rickshaw that the market would remain operational at its old site. This annoyed Chunian Assistant Commissioner Adnan Badar who got the rickshaw driver arrested but refrained from taking action against the agents who were behind the announcement.

Four political personalities of the area, including two ministers, are also divided on the issue.

The bone of contention is stated to be hundreds of shops of grocery merchants outside the old fruit and vegetable market. These shopkeepers are afraid that they would lose their business if they shift to the new market. They are local residents and the politicians don’t want to invite their ire by supporting the new market.

Former president Chaudhry Muhammad Rafiq says the old market is situated in the heart of the city and hundreds of families of Karyana (grocery) merchants are associated with it.

He complains that the new market does not accommodate grocery merchants while it also lacks basic facilities, including potable water and washrooms.

A farmer, requesting anonymity, says the new market is adjacent to some housing schemes whose owners are also beneficiaries of the new market that’s why they are supporting it. Since the announcement of new market, the price of the land that was being sold at Rs160,000 per marla has almost doubled.

Fruit and Vegetable Market President Munir says the traders had demanded AC Adnan Badar to provide facilities in last December. When the AC fulfilled his promise, the traders, who had already lost their legal battle in the local court and later high court, had no choice but to shift to the new market. He claims that 23 commission agents, who have legal allotments, have moved to new market while 16, out of which only four have legal allotments, are running their business at old market without any legal or moral justification.

AC Adnan Badar says nobody would be allowed to work in the old market and strict action would be taken against the violators of the directions.

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2020