Apni Mandis losing relevance
by U.K.Bhanot
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 31--- The Apni Mandis which once served both consumers and farmers well are gradually losing their relevance because of the high prices fixed by the organisers of such mandis.

The concept of Apni Mandis earlier held attraction for both consumers and farmers because the consumers got fresh vegetables at reasonable prices and the farmers got a reasonably good return for their produce without going through the hazards of paying the market fee and commission to arhtiyas. But the situation is no longer helpful to the consumers because neither the farmers are getting the best of the situation at such mandis nor the consumers. The major harassment for the farmers comes from traders/vendors/phariwalas who enjoy full support of the police because of the underhand payments made to the latter (reported to be Rs 20 per phariwala per day) and the political patronage now being given to them by some parties, the BSP in particular. It is also learnt that no amount of complaints at the joint Mandi Welfare Committee meetings improves the situation.

Some farmers have also formed Farmers Welfare Association at Mohali which is putting pressure on the authorities to contain the unauthorised entrants to the Apni Mandis. The association has suggested that the phariwalas/vendors should not be allowed to enter the Apni Mandis and if at all they have to be accommodated they should be asked to organise sale on days other than those of Apni Mandis in particular sectors. Also, these phariwalas should not be allowed to sell items which the farmers bring. The interference of the phariwalas , however, continued in spite of the fact that 1300 farmers have been given identity cards to take part in Apni Mandis. Those farmers who come from villages in the adjoining areas pay Rs 5 as entry fee to the organisers while the phariwalas, being unauthorised , reliably make underhand payments to whomsoever they do.

Talking about the high prices fixed by the farmers and phariwalas at such mandis, Mr G P S Randhawa, who represents the Punjab Mandi Board, the agency which organises Apni Mandis, says they generally take an average of the wholesale prices of Sector 26 market and the prices prevailing in the market where Apni Mandis is organised. This is a faulty formula as the persons who fix the prices generally keep the prevailing market prices mostly in mind. Moreover, these prices being quite high bring no relief to the consumer who is already a victim of traders greed all around. Even the wholesale prices in the Sector 26 market are not the natural prices as the commission agents make full use of the propaganda of shortages and jack up the prices themselves.

While nearly two dozen farmers have been involved for overcharging in the Apni Mandis, the identity cards of half a dozen farmers have been cancelled for the same reason. The Mandi Board is paying Rs 100 per day for every mandi organised in the city but the Municipal Corporation is demanding an increase of Rs 400 in this fee.

In certain areas in the city, Apni Mandis are being organised unauthorisedly. For example, in response to a letter by the Inspector General of Police, Union Territory, the Marketing Board stopped organising such mandis in Sector 8 two years ago on grounds of security risk and mandi being a traffic hazard in the VVIP area. Similarly, Apni Mandi was discontinued in Sector 15 because of protest by some residents who felt the harassment due to such mandi crowd unbearable near their houses. Now it is being organised in Sector 15 D in response to a request by the Sector Welfare Committee.

Apni Mandis are being organised in the city in Sectors 33 and 46 on Monday, in Sector 40 on Tuesday, Sector 15 on Wednesday, Sector 22 and 45 on Thursday, Sector 32 and 37 on Saturday and Sector 27 on Sunday.

In Mohali the Apni Mandis are organised in Phase -V (Monday), Sector 71 (Tuesday), Phase II (Wednesday), Phase 3B and II ( Thursday), Phase 8 ( Friday), Phase 6 (Saturday) and in Phase 3 A (Sunday).

Spices going the onion way
by Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH,Oct 31— Spices are also going the ‘onions way’.

Spices appear to have escaped the attention of people even as their prices registered a 25 per cent to 40 per cent increase during the past one year.

Enquiries by the TNS revealed that the highest jump was recorded by black pepper,which is extensively used in the Indian food as well as a major ingredient in a large number of ayurvedic medicines.One kg of good quality black pepper is Rs 260. On the contrary,the commodity was available between Rs 160 and Rs 180 in April last.

The Sources in the trade attributed the hike in price to increased demand due to its use in medicines and an extensive damage to the crop in Brazil. Besides Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Brazil, is one of major black pepper producing countries of the world and meets a large part of its requirement in India.

Elaichi, too, is sombre. Known for its pleasant scented flavour, it is 25 per cent dearer than last year. In October last, it was priced at Rs 475 a kg, the price of the same quality is Rs 700 and even in some cases Rs 800 in different city markets.

Surprisingly, in the past one week, its price has gone up by a whopping Rs 100.

Though there is no major increase in the prices of others like turmeric, zira and cardamom and these are available for Rs 50, Rs 95 and Rs 130 in the local grain market. However, there are variations in the prices of spices and pulses in different sectors, which cause confusion in the minds of consumers.

If a kilo of black pepper is priced at Rs 260 in the grain market, the same is available at Rs 230 and Rs 300 in Sectors 35 and 20, respectively.

Likewise, in Sector 26 the retail price of zira was Rs 90.

The same could be purchased for Rs 95 and Rs 120 in sectors 35 and 20.

The variation in price in case of elaichi was even more. Cardamom was priced at Rs 130 in sector 26 and at Rs 140 in sectors 35 and 20. However, there was no difference in the prices of red chillies and turmeric, which were available at Rs 80 and Rs 50 in different sectors. Red chillies are available for Rs 50.