Guwahati: The state government’s plan toshiftthe wholesale market from Guwahati’s Fancy Bazar to either Changsari in Kamrup district or to North Guwahati has sparked resentment, particularly among the small traders, as they believe that the move, if executed, will adversely impact them.Lakhtokia Merchant Association general secretary Nekib Iman Saikia said the livelihood of the traders should not be compromised for the sake of development as these traders have been doing business at the location for decades and their families depend on it.“We need flyovers and road expansions. We want a solution to the traffic congestion but not at the cost of the livelihood of small traders. Authorities concerned must consider the matter and find an alternate solution,” he added.Saikia added that over 1 thousand small traders have their business in Fancy Bazar. “Shifting of the wholesale market will directly or indirectly impact the retail price of the products as the retail traders will have to bear additional carrying charge, which they will definitely recover from the consumers,” he added.Earlier, Readymade Garment Dealers’ Association president Subrata Roy had said the plan to shift the wholesale market from Gala Patty in Fancy Bazar, if executed, would surely help in mitigating traffic congestion but will affect business as it takes 100 years to establish a market and several years to get a business running.A member of the Kamrup Chambers of Commerce welcomed the government’s plan and said the area – Gala Patty remain congested throughout the day due to the loading and unloading of products from the trucks. He added that the vehicles also trigger congestion on the main road.“Earlier, there was a huge vegetable market at Machkhowa, which was later shifted by the government to Pamohi, on the outskirts of the city. This has helped in making the Machkhowa area decongested. Traffic congestion has become a major issue in the city. Todecongestthe city, without harming the small traders, few steps are needed to be taken by the state government or the departments concerned,” the member added.In the meanwhile, a few traders, who talked to TOI, have refused to move as they fear losing business. “We have recovered the business, which was on the verge of dying out due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We do not want to incur more lose,” Fariyad Ali, a vegetable seller, said.We also published the following articles recently
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