The Sindh government has been demanded to release Rs 200 million for the repair of Hyderabad New Vegetable and Fruit Market infrastructure which has completely been damaged by the 2010 flood-affectees and land mafia. Exclusively talking to Business Recorder, Deputy Director Agricultural Marketing and Administrator market committee, Shoukat Ali Mastoi said that the Market Committee Hyderabad from its own resources had acquired 70 acres of land in 1982/1984 to establish New Vegetables and Fruit Market near Deh Gujo Hala Naka.
Initially, the new market was designed at 26 acres of land with the support of Asian Development Bank (ADB). In 1996, traders of vegetables/fruits showed their interests and deposited millions of rupees with the market committee to acquire the allotment of plots to establish their businesses in new set-up, he said, adding that the construction of shops, warehouses and sheds and other development works were near completion when the federal and provincial governments temporarily accommodated about 80,000 flood-affected families there in 2010. But these flood affectees and land grabbers not only destroyed the constructed infrastructure of the market but also occupied the whole site of the market and refused to vacate the land. With great efforts of the civil administration, they were removed from there, Mastoi told.
The condition of new vegetable and fruit market is too bad to be used for doing business as roads, electric poles, boundary walls, water course, village side, disposal of sewerage, septic water tank, lavatory block and overhead water tank badly need repair. He strongly appealed the Sindh government to take the notice and resolve this issue as the present market situated at Hali Road, is confronting several problems including damaged sanitation system and lack of basic civic facilities and the situation goes much worse in case rain.