Fruit wholesalers of Fancy Bazar incur losses in lakhs during lockdown

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The fruits wholesalers of Fancy Bazar are finding it difficult to deal with the losses which they incurred during the period when the area was under the containment zone tag. Many of the fruits wholesalers from the S.R.C.B. Road, Fancy Bazaar claimed in unison that altogether they will incur a loss of around Rs 30 to Rs 35 lakh as their entire stock have been damaged.

After the Aloo Gudam case, the particular area of the Fancy Bazaar was declared as a containment zone. Though the administration has removed Fancy Bazaar from the containment zone category on Sunday, now the fruits wholesalers from S.R.C.B. road are left with no other alternative but to helplessly look at their damaged fruits and dispose of them.

Talking to The Sentinel, Chunilal Roy, a member of the Fruit Market and Wholesalers Association said that there are over 20 shops in the S.R.C.B Road and all the shops had to incur a total of around Rs. 30-35 lakh. Roy claimed, "During a discussion at the minister level, we were allowed to bring stock of fruits. We were told that there should be no price hike of fruits and it must be available in the market as it was the month of Ramjan. Usually during the time of Ramjan, demand for fruits increases. Thinking of that we brought more stock than earlier. However, after the sudden announcement of this area as a containment zone we incurred huge losses. If we were given at least one day, we could have kept our stocks at the cold storage."

Incurring a loss of around 2.5 lakh, Bhagaban Sahani, owner of B.S. Fruit Company said, "We didn't receive a single chance to take measures so that our fruits don't rot. I brought the stocks just before Ramjan. Now I am cleaning my store. Stock worth Rs. 2.5 lakh was damaged."

Sanjay Kumar Gupta , owner to Maa Kamakhya Fruits said that a loss of around Rs. 10 lakh was incurred as he had to throw the damaged fruits.

Shyam Gupta, owner of AVI Fruit Company said, "Fruits worth Rs. 3 lakh were damaged in my shop. I had stocks of grapes and apples. Few were left without being damaged but it can't be sold in wholesale rate. I will distribute the good ones to the beggars and the needy people."