Bhubaneswar vegetable vendors put strike on hold following assurance of demand fulfilment
Vegetable vendors in Odisha's capital city of Bhubaneswar's Unit-1 market have decided to put their planned strike on hold.
Bhubaneswar: In a significant development, vegetable vendors in Bhubaneswar’s Unit-1 market have decided to put their planned strike on hold. The strike was set to commence on October 20. The vendors put protest on hold after receiving assurances of demand fulfillment in a meeting chaired by the Central MLA of Bhubaneswar.
Previously, the vegetable vendors at Unit-1 Haat had resolved to go on strike if their demands were not met, submitting a seven-point charter of demands to the state government.
The potential strike had raised concerns of a raw vegetable crisis, not only in the capital but also across the entire state of Odisha, as trucks transporting vegetables from Maharashtra, Bengal, West Bengal, and Telangana would cease to arrive.
The Raw Vegetables Traders Association had voiced its grievances, citing issues like road blockages near SBI by the Unit 1 Durga Puja Committee and the removal of a plastic market on the roadside. Additionally, they had demanded the allocation of 10 acres of land in Bhagbanpur.
The association’s primary demands encompassed the construction of a two-storey market building in Unit No. 2, accommodations for all traders from AG to Rajmahal in Unit 1 Haat, and the closure of temporary plastic markets, winter clothes bazaars, and the sale of idols during various festivals.
The potential strike’s ripple effects were projected to impact not only Bhubaneswar but also nearby regions, including Puri, Brahmagiri, Nimapada, Astarang, Kakatpur, Khurda, and Jatni.
Ms Kalinga