Punjab CM exempts user charges for petty vendors at fruit, vegetable markets

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday ordered exemption of user charges for petty vendors at the state's fruits and vegetables retail markets for the remaining period of seven months of the current fiscal.

He took this decision after Punjab Mandi Board Chairman Lal Singh raised the issue at a meeting at the former's official residence, an official statement said.

Responding to Lal Singh, Amarinder decided to exempt the user charges of retail markets from September 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022.

According to Lal Singh, this much-needed relief to petty vendors of nearly 34 fruit and vegetable retail markets run by Market Committees (MCs) across the state would cost nearly Rs 12 crore to the exchequer of the Punjab Mandi Board.

The market committees collect user charges through contractors, against the usage of infrastructure of Mandis. A total of 27 MCs have allotted contracts for collection of user charges through e-tendering, and the remaining committees personally collect such charges to provide various facilities to the 'rehri' and 'farhi' vendors.

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