As part of the State government’s plans to de-congest the Kothapet and Gaddi Annaram fruit markets in the city, the marketing department is getting a new fruit market ready at Koheda that is expected to be inaugurated in three days.
Stating that mango stocks had already started arriving at Koheda and about 600 lorry loads of all kinds of fruits were reaching there every day, Minister for Agriculture S. Niranjan said that entire mango supplies would be taken there this year, instead of Kothapet and Gaddi Annaram, which would be used more as vegetable markets now. The market was being readied on a war-footing to reduce congestion at the existing markets, particularly in the wake of coronavirus spread.
Mr. Niranjan Reddy, Minister for Education P. Sabitha Indra Reddy, legislators D. Sudheer Reddy and M. Kishan Reddy and market committee chairman Ramnarsimha Goud visited the upcoming market on a 175-acre land at Koheda, abutting Outer Ring Road at Rangareddy district and examined the ongoing works, on Tuesday. Mr. Niranjan Reddy stated that the market was ready for use with two huge sheds and ethylene ripening chambers.
The Minister said sheds with an area of 1.26 lakh feet with a cost of ₹65 lakh were being constructed at Koheda. Construction of two sheds was already completed and one more would come up soon. Twenty tanks with 2,000 litres capacity each were being arranged for drinking water in the market complex. A canteen was also being readied for the benefit of farmers, agents and other workers.
The Ministers instructed the officials concerned to provide lighting along the road leading to the fruit market from the ORR. Further, they asked the officials to issue identity cards to market agents and other workers so that there was inconvenience from the police. Closed-circuit cameras for monitoring, first aid centre, fire station, parking facilities were also also being arranged.
Asking the farmers, agents and others in the market to maintain social distancing due to coronavirus, they said the market committee would also provide masks to farmers and others free of cost. They stated that except for mango grown in Jagtial area, the entire crop would come to Koheda. The Jagtial produce would go to Mumbai.
