Bangalore's wholesale food grains traders to close operations tomorrow

Bangalore’s biggest wholesale food grains and pulses market will remain closed on Saturday as part of the statewide bandh called by various Kannada organisations. The bandh is planned to protest against the release of 9,000 cusecs of water from Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) in Mandya district to Tamil Nadu.

“We are supporting the statewide bandh to protest against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. We will be closing our shops and establishments to support the bandh,” said Ramesh Chandra Lahoti, President, Bangalore Wholesale Food Grains and Pulses Merchants' Association.

Traders dealing in agriculture produce, fresh vegetables and fruits will shut their shops in APMC regulated market yard to express solidarity with various Kannada organisations. APMC yard in Yeshwantpur has over 3,000 traders and trade in about 112 notified commodities.

Every day more than 3,000 lorries arrive at Yeshwantpur market yard and an estimated 10,000 headload workers and support staff work at the market yard. It is estimated that trade worth over Rs 20 crore is transacted at Yeswantpur market yard every day.

Lahoti said there will not be any auction of commodities like onion and potato on Saturday. “We are directly linked with farmers of the state and we want to protest against a decision which is against the farmers in the state,”  Lahoti added.