It will not be long before the vegetable vendors in Samdrup Jongkhar town get a bigger and better vegetable market. The three-storey new integrated vegetable market is nearing completion. The facility is supposed to be ready by mid of this month and almost 90 percent of the construction work is complete.
The construction of the facility was initiated to provide a proper and permanent space for vendors to sell their produce. However, the project is unlikely to meet its deadline, which is on the 15th of this month.
According to the contractor, the work could not be completed on time due to the shortage of materials like cement and sand. The contractor also added that early monsoon this time hampered the construction work.
The contractor says only finishing works like plastering of walls, plumbing and connecting electrical lines are left. The contractor assured that works will be completed within one to two months.
Currently, vegetable vendors in the town have to continue selling vegetables in temporary sheds to protect themselves and their produce from rain and sun. There are 21 vendors in the vegetable market. While these makeshift structures provide some respite, they are far from ideal and lack the necessary facilities and infrastructure to support a thriving market.
“If it gets ready soon, it will be helpful to us. They say it will be completed soon but we don’t know when it will be ready. In the old sheds, vegetables get damaged because of the sun and rain. it is difficult out here,” said Cheki Wangmo, a vegetable vendor.
“The new market is not ready so we have to sell vegetables here by using tarpaulin to protect the vegetables from rain and sun. It is difficult selling vegetables in the current area, and vegetables also get spoiled in the heat,” said Tshering Yangdon, another vegetable vendor.
“Not many people come here to buy vegetables, only people from offices nearby come to buy vegetables here. I wish to move to the new market soon,” said Dorji Dema, a vegetable vendor.
Once completed, the integrated vegetable market will have separate spaces to sell locally grown and imported vegetables. The market will also have places for meat shops, florist shops, food courts, and others.
The project started in November 2021 with a budget of over Nu 65 M provided by the Indian Government. Once complete, it is expected to transform the local economy, promote entrepreneurship, and improve the lives of the vendors and the residents of the town.
Kinley Wangchuk, Samdrup Jongkhar
Edited by Kipchu
