THANJAVUR
Sales through the mobile vegetable vending, an initiative conceived and implemented to avoid congregation of the public in large numbers at vegetable markets, seem to have hit a plateau in three major urban pockets in Thanjavur district.
The idea to sell vegetables at the doorsteps of consumers in urban and as well as rural pockets were envisioned by the officials as their efforts to ensure social distancing in the wake of COVID-19 virus scare at the temporary vegetable markets too failed to yield desired results.
Thus, door to door sale of vegetables was taken up in Pattukottai and Kumbakonam Municipalities from April 3 and in Thanjavur Corporation domain from April 4 onwards. While assorted vegetable pack at a fixed price of ₹100 per bag was offered to the consumers at Pattukottai and Thanjavur, the Kumbakonam consumers were the privileged lot as they were able to purchase the vegetables of their choice from the mobile vending vehicles as almost all the vegetables were carried to their doorsteps.
While five mini-vans were being pressed into this service at Pattukottai and Kumbakonam daily, the officials have not put any cap on the number of vehicles used for this service at Thanjavur. Despite the fact that more number of vehicles were allowed in Thanjavur to offer this service, the total number of vegetable pack units sold per day dipped by 100 bags per day on April 10 and April 11 compared to 1450 bags on April 5, the second day of mobile vegetable vending service in the town.
Similarly, at Pattukottai the number of vegetable pack units sold on April 10 and April 11 were 537 and 539 respectively, compared to the third day sales of 656 units on April 5.
On the other hand, despite the advantage enjoyed by the consumers at Kumbakonam the sale proceeds did cross ₹ 50,000 mark only on two days – on April 6 and April 11.
The reason, according to some of the consumers at Thanjavur and Pattukottai was that half the set of 10 vegetables in the pack gets repeated every day resulting in piling up of such vegetables in the households. “The officials or the traders involved in this exercise should come forward to offer a different combination of vegetables every day or at least on alternate days by displaying the variety of vegetables available in the packs”, said Balasubramanian of Balaji Nagar, Thanjavur.
Further, the quality of vegetables should also be given importance as dried or rotten vegetable in the pack would definitely wean off consumers' interest, said Sundar of Pattukottai. Endorsing the view of Pattukottai consumer, Subramanian of Thiripurasundari Nagar, Thanjavur resented the deployment of garbage collection vehicles for mobile vegetable vending service.
As far as the Kumbakonam consumers, though they are ready to shell out a bit extra per kilogram of vegetables provided quality vegetables were supplied to them.
Pointing out that it was disheartening to note that the retail price of all most all the vegetables are over and above ₹ 30 per kg, Sundaresan of Kumbakonam suggested that the the sale price of vegetables should be fixed taking into consideration the place of production of the vegetables. Lesser price could be fixed for vegetables or greens produced locally and an affordable price be charged for the vegetables brought from far off places, he added.
