Mangaluru City Corporation Commissioner Ajith Kumar Hegde Shanady on Tuesday directed that the retail fruit and vegetable traders in the city compulsorily purchase produces only from the Horticultural Producers Cooperative Marketing and Processing Society (HOPCOMS) at the APMC Yard in Baikampady or from other wholesale traders in the same yard.
In an order, the Commissioner said that if the retailers purchased fruits and vegetables from other places, it will be considered as “unauthorised”.
During inspection by the corporation officials, the retail traders they should produce the receipts for having purchased the produces only from the APMC Yard. If they failed to do so, the corporation will cancel their trade licence.
The retailers should also give the corporation officials details on stocks of vegetables and fruits, he said.
The Commissioner said that the retailers should sell the produce at the rate fixed by the government through HOPCOMS, he said.
In another public notice, the Commissioner said that the Central Market in the city where wholesale retail and fruit and vegetable businesses were going on has been closed down. “No business will be allowed to continue in that building from now onwards,” he said.
The Commissioner said that if the merchants who were doing business in the building wanted to continue their business, they should shift to the APMC Yard in Baikampady.
