Kathmandu– Vegetable and fruit dealers at Kalimati Fruits and Vegetables market have finally acceded to the government move to regulate the vegetable market.
The vegetable and fruit dealers back down after the government arrested and initiated legal action against the vegetable traders who manhandled monitoring officers from the Department of Supplies Management. Last Monday the vegetable sellers had manhandled members of a government team that was on an inspection visit amid growing concerns over a hefty rise in vegetable prices.
Kalimati Fruits and Vegetable and Retail Market Entrepreneurs Association has written a letter to the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies, pledging not to organize any strike. “We will cooperate and coordinate with the government monitoring team that visits the vegetable market for inspection and operate the market in an organized manner in the coming days,” read the letter written by Ram Krishna Rimal, General Secretary of the Association.
The government had arrested Bharat Prasad Khatiwada, general secretary of the Federation of Fruit and Vegetable Entrepreneurs, after the government team was manhandled. The federation has urged the government to release him.
Following the incident, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Matrika Yadav visited the market and warned of stern action those involved in shutting down the market.
However, the vegetable traders had formed a struggled committee and resorted to a strike. The federation has announced the disbandment of the struggle committee even as the government was preparing to scrap some of the vegetable stalls.
“A meeting of the working committee convened on August 25 has decided to dissolve the struggle committee considering the current situation,” read the notice issued by the federation. The market that was shut in protest against the arrest of Khatiwada since Monday (August 20) reopened from Wednesday (August 22).
