Mumbai: The biggest agriculture market of Asia, the APMC market at Vashi is closed for two-days, said the director of the Market. When the entire city is eagerly waiting for food grains, the market is closed for two days due to shortage of Mathadi workers (Head loaders).
According to the Wholesale Traders, the Dana Bazar is flooded with more than 1,200 trucks loaded with essential commodities and hardly any Mathadi labourer in market. The market insiders disclosed that out of 20,000 Mathadi workers in APMC only 10 % are working due to the fear of Covid19.
Neelesh Veera the director of APMC (Wholesale Centre) said,” Last week about 800 trucks had queued up here. In this week it has gone up to 1,200 and above trucks with essential commodities. It is difficult to send any truck to Mumbai and its neighbouring cities till these trucks are unloaded. Thus only one market that is the Vegetable market is operating.”
The market is closed down to unload these 1,200 and above trucks which have come different parts of the country.
“The trucks have been stranded here for the want of Mathadi labourers as only 10 % working overall in the market. We had no option to discontinue the essential commodities supply to Mumbai. However there is nothing to worry for Mumbai citizens as the supply is already taken by the traders,” he added.
When asked about the situation Narendra Patil, Mathadi union leader and former MLC on insufficient number of Mathadi labourers, he said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to give Rs.2,000 to un-organised labourers after pandemic of Coronavirus. Even the Chief Minister,Uddhav Thackeray has promised the same to the Mathadi labourers in the state. Many are ready to come out to work as a result unloading and loading of trucks have piled up. ” – By Santoshee Gulabkali Mishra
