Mysore/Mysuru: Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (Samoohika Nayakatva) staged a protest in front of Heritage Farmers Market (Sunday Farmers Shandy) at Vijayanagar 1st Stage in city recently.

Raitha Sangha State Secretary Manju Kiran said, the market built by Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), to encourage farmers by creating a market for farm produces grown using traditional farming practices, are devoid of basic infrastructural facilities. The electric bulbs are unfit for use and the toilet lacks maintenance. The big drain nearby emits stench and the menace of flies, has been adding to the woes of the farmers here. The unabated growth of parthenium plants, has been making it difficult for the customers to park their vehicles. 

Despite submitting several memorandums to MUDA to clean the market premises, the authorities turn a deaf ear. If this is the plight of the common man in the city, the hometown of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the plight of the people in other parts of the district, wouldn’t be different, rued Kiran.

Apart from building a market to sell farm produces, the State Government should also take steps to create awareness about the benefit of consuming grains, among the people. The District Administration, should also act in this regard, he demanded.

The Waste Pit should also be built on the market premises, to dump leftover or unsold fruits, vegetables and leaves at Weekly Shandy. Steps should also be taken for disposal of waste, that would otherwise force the farmers to throw vegetables on roadside or vacant plots, said Kiran.

Farmer leader Murthy, Convener of Sunday Farmers Shandy Venugopal, Satish, Convener of Parisara Ulisi Samiti Kiran, Shankare Gowda, Thomas, Girish, Suresh, Chandrashekar, Prof. S. Shamsundar, Kariyappa, Sudharao, Vanika, Shashikala and others were present.