Farmers and consumers who utilise the Uzhavar Sandhais can heave a sigh of relief as the Madras High Court has directed the Tirupur District Collector to ensure that wholesale dealers do not enter the market premises.
The Bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R. Mahadevan, pronounced the order in a petition moved by social activist N. Shanmugasundaram, president of Nallur Consumer Welfare Association.
Mr. Shanmugasundaram said that he was forced to move the court as the district and police administrations failed to find a permanent solution to the grievances of the farmers and consumers.
The wholesale dealers purchase vegetables in bulk from farmers at lower prices as soon as the market opens at 3 a.m.
They then sell the same either on the pavements leading to the Sandhai premises or in shops outside at higher prices later, since the Uzhavar Sandhais function only from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m., he said.
The dealers also get into the trading slots reserved for the farmers by obtaining tokens through corrupt practices.
“All these have been thwarting the very purpose of the Uzhavar Sandhai scheme that was started in 1999. The scheme was aimed at promoting farmers to get maximum profits through direct sale of farm produce to consumers without any middlemen and consumers get the commodities at lesser price”, he said.
