Amonkar chides Belgaum veg association for playing dirty
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, FEB 10
The Belgaum wholesalers association which launched a massive protest against supplying vegetables to Goa State Horticulture Corporation (GSHC)?on Thursday failed to show up for the scheduled signing of an agreement with the latter.
In a high-level meeting at Belgaum on Wednesday, the Belgaum Wholesale Dealers Market Association (BWDMA) had committed to supply vegetables to the Corporation at cheap rates.
Corporation Chairman Sankalp Amonkar told Herald the members of the BWDMA had committed to sign the agreement today morning but none turned up. I am pursuing the matter with the Government, he said.
The association comprising of around 200 members on Saturday arrived at a unanimous decision to stop the entire vegetable supply to Goa if GSHC, which is adamant with its policy of patronising only four suppliers, did not allow participation of more suppliers.
A delegation from Goa comprising Agriculture Secretary C P Tripati, Agriculture Director Satish Tendulkar and Horticulture Managing Director Orlando Rodrigues convened a meeting with the Belgaum Collector to sort out the crisis.
The Goan delegation accepted the Collector’s suggestion to accept supplies from BWDMA as its fifth supplier. Following this, the association president Divkar Patil committed before the officials to sign the agreement with the Corporation on Thursday.
However the situation seems to have changed after the meeting. Sources said the association members in a late night meeting decided to abandon their decision to cooperate with the Corporation.
Lashing at the association, Amonkar said it was clear the intentions of these Belgaum traders were not clean. “After we agreed to their demands they did a volte face. This shows they neither have the capacity to supply vegetables nor capability to keep up to their promises,” he chided.
Even though the association took a collective decision not to sign the agreement, its individual members approached the Corporation today insisting they be awarded to supply vegetables.
“I met at least six to seven individual members affiliated to the protesting Belgaum association. They assured to solve the issue if contract is given to them on individual grounds and not to the association. This shows their unity,” Amonkar said sarcastically.
The Opposition benches during the winter session of the Assembly had alleged the corporation was buying vegetables for hefty commission and selling them at subsidised rates. Agriculture Minister Vishwajit Rane has ordered an internal audit after the Opposition pressure. Amonkar welcomed the move stating it will silence all the critics.
