Market off limits for vendors from sealed areas, Pune residents in the lurch

PUNE: The APMC on Thursday announced that the entry of vegetable vendors, transporters and buyers from the sealed areas in the city to the wholesale market would be barred.
The Agriculture Produce Market Committee’s (APMC) decision has further affected supplies in the sealed localities, causing residents to run from pillar to post for vegetables.
Vegetable vendors and residents in the sealed areas were unable to get supplies, with some residents contemplating venturing out of the localities to get the day’s supplies.
A resident tweeted, “Humble request in Kondhwa area of Pune being sealed off since 2 days. We are facing vegetables, fruit and groceries shortage especially with kids at home.”
Another resident in Kondhwa said, “We have no vegetables at home, because the vendors have been barred from visiting Gultekdi to get their supplies.”
Another resident told TOI that vegetable vendors have been barred from entering the ‘mandi’ and upon reaching Market Yard, they are questioned about the area they have come from.
“When the vendors reveal that they are from one of the sealed areas, their entry into the wholesale market is bared. On Thursday, we had no vegetables at home and I had to step out. But all vegetable vendors were closed. Upon moving a little bit, I saw a grocery chain that had by then run out of most vegetables. All I could manage to get from there was 250gm of onion and capsicum,” said Neena S, a resident from Kondhwa.
Vitthal Hanamgar, a vegetable vendor on NIBM Road, said, “Since I am from Kondhwa, I was allowed to enter the wholesale market on Thursday. I don’t know how people will manage to get the daily supplies of vegetables in the sealed areas.”
Tejaram Parjapati, another vegetable vendor from the area, said, “I closed my shop because I had nothing to give to the customers. I was constantly getting phone calls from customers. However, I had to tell them that there was nothing on offer.”