Market yard threatens to suspend licences of traders

Rajkot: The ongoing traders’ strike of Rajkot market yard entered the 9th day on Tuesday without any solution emerging to end the stalemate between the traders and the police.
Meanwhile, after the directors failed to solve the impasse, a board meeting of the market yard was called on Tuesday where the traders, commission agents and the directors met to resolve the ongoing issue. The meet decided to suspend licenses of traders and commission agents if the strike isn’t called off within three days.
The BJP-ruled market yard board has come under the pressure from both farmers’ body as well as the state government to end the strike at the earliest.
The traders and commission agents of the market yard went on strike over the issue of mosquito menace, demanding a permanent solution to the age-old problem. The mosquito breeding is rampant in the backside of the market as the city’s sewage gets accumulated in the Aji riverbed.
On Tuesday, the farmers too protested at the market yard demanding resumption of auction. When contacted, the president of commission agents, Atul Kamani said, “We are also exploring options to challenge the order in the high court if the authorities suspend our licenses.”
Protesting traders last week clashed with the police who detained the traders and also booked 32 other people along with traders, a few farmers, and labourers on charges of rioting. Looking at the grievousness of the matter, the chief minister’s office has issued order to immediately solve the problem.
According to rough estimate the daily turn over of the yard is Rs 7-8 crore. Rajkot market yard is Saurashtra’s biggest market yard. The traders are demanding chief minister’s intervention to solve this stalemate.
Talking to TOI, chairman of Rajkot market yard, D K Sakhia said, “We cannot allow them to take the market yard into their hands. The farmers are facing massive trouble for the past nine days. We have decided to suspend licenses if the strike isn’t called off within three days.”