Azadpur Mandi Strike called off: Panel formed to look into agents' demands

The committee will give its report within 15 days, wholesale prices of some vegetables moved up on Tuesday in Azadpur because of strike

The Delhi government has constituted a 10-member committee to look into the demands of the commission agents (middlemen) of Azadpur mandi, the city’s huge wholesale market. The committee will give its report within 15 days.

The agents, who went on a strike on Monday demanding the mandatory six per cent commission be charged from farmers instead of wholesalers and retailers, returned to work on Tuesday, following a late-night agreement with the government.

The Azadpur Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) had last month issued an order directing the agents to charge their commission from the buyers (wholesalers and retailers) instead of the sellers (farmers).

“If the government does not take a decision quickly, we will again resort to strike,” said Mahendra Kumar, an APMC member and a leader of commission agents.

Experts, however, said any decision on the demands of the commission agents will not be easy, as they require a change in the by-laws of Azadpur mandi, which can only be done by the Delhi Assembly.

“The high-powered committee will take at least 15 days to give its report, after which the law has to be amended, which will require the approval of the Delhi Assembly. With elections round the corner, it looks very unlikely that any decision will come soon,” said a former member of APMC.

Wholesale prices of some vegetables moved up on Tuesday because of the strike. According to data from the Azadpur APMC website, the price of lady finger rose to Rs 60 a quintal and of cabbage by Rs 431 a quintal, compared to Saturday's prices. Capsicum rates were costlier by Rs 500 and tomato prices were up by Rs 193 a quintal.

“This is because full supplies have not resumed in the mandi today (Tuesday), but we are sure things would come back to normal in the next one or days,” said Kumar.