Belgaum-Goa vegetable war hots up

PANAJI/PONDA: An unruly mob of about 350 vegetable traders in Belgaum on Tuesday gheraoed the vegetable supply depot there and destroyed almost 130 tonnes of vegetables worth about Rs 35 lakh awaiting transportation to Goa.
Goa state horticultural development corporation (GSHDC) chairman Sankalp Amonkar said that with the destruction of the vegetable stocks in Belgaum, the supply of subsidized vegetables to the corporation's 140 outlets in Goa will be hit on Wednesday.
Addressing a press conference, Amonkar alleged that a cartel of mostly migrant vegetable vendors backed by the BJP are blocking the Goa government scheme of supplying subsidized vegetables to citizens in Goa.
Amonkar, GSHDC managing director Orlando Rodrigues and agriculture director S S Tendulkar called upon chief minister Digambar Kamat on Tuesday and apprised him of the problem in the presence of chief secretary Sanjay Srivastava.
Amonkar said Kamat immediately called up the Belgaum superintendent of police to inquire about the incident and the chief secretary telephoned the Belgaum collector and sought his intervention to stop the mob from preventing vegetable supplies to Goa.
Despite a strong police presence at the Agricultural Production Marketing Committee (APMC) premises in Belgaum, the vegetable traders managed to destroy the vegetable stock. They also threatened the packaging labourers forcing them to flee, Amonkar alleged.
Rodrigues and state agriculture secretary C P Tripathi will travel to Belgaum on Wednesday to lodge a police complaint and meet the district collector to seek relief.
This was, however, refuted by the Belgaum vegetable suppliers. Belgaum-based wholesaler Avadhut Patil, who supplies a large quantity of vegetables to Goa, said they had a weekly holiday on Monday and clarified that they did not waste or damage any vegetables. He also said that supplies to GSHDC kiosks was affected as it was a holiday for them in Belgaum.
Patil told TOI that Belgaum vegetable suppliers would meet on Wednesday to decide whether they should continue supply vegetable to GSHDC.
The All Goa Vegetable Vendors' Association (AGVVA), on Monday had claimed that Belgaum-based vegetable wholesalers supported their demand to stop GSHDC kiosks in Goa. AGVVA had also claimed that in support the Belgaum wholesalers had stopped sending vegetables to GSHDC kiosks.
Amonkar blamed vegetable and fruit vendors in Goa, most of who are "non-Goans", of inciting vegetable traders in Goa because the parallel supply of vegetables and fruits in Goa at subsidized rates, has hit their profit margins.
He also said Goa's daily requirement of vegetables is around 350 to 400 tonnes, of which, the corporation was supplying around 130 tonnes.
Meanwhile, Ponda's Budhwarpeth Traders' Association (BTA) met local MLA and home minister Ravi Naik and sought his intervention in the issue. AGVVA member and BTA chairman Shankar Naik, said Naik assured them he would look into the matter after he returns from Delhi.