Market of national importance at Azadpur to be re-modelled

New Delhi, Dec 2 (UNI) Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today said fruit and vegetable market at Azadpur in North Delhi would soon be re-modelled to match it to international standards.

''Azadpur Mandi, asia's largest, is presently recognised as a market of national importance. And it will now be managed with modern techniques,'' she said while dedicating a modern office complex and 'Kisan Bhawan' to the fruit and vegetable traders and their employees at Azadpur.

The air conditioned office complex, with a total covered area of 6600 sq m was constructed at a cost of Rs ten crore and the modern air conditioned 'Kisan Bhawan', with a total covered area of 4000 sq m, was constructed at a cost of Rs seven crore, she added.

All Mandis in the city would soon have such modern office complexes and Kisan Bhawans within next two years, Ms Dikshit declared.

The chief minister assured that a modern cold store would also be made functional at the mandi to provide relief to those farmers who were forced to sell their products at throwaway price under the fear that their products would be damaged in a short time.

Delhi Development Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan presided over the function where Delhi Industries Minister Mangat Ram Singhal, Local MP Sandeep Dikshit and MLAs Jile Singh Chauhan and Ambrish Gautam were also present.

The fruit and vegetable market at Azadpur presently known as Chaudhary Hira Singh Market was set-up by Agricultural Produce Marketing Corp. It was spread over 76-acre area. There were 118 notified commodities of fruit and vegetables available for transaction in the market and the daily arrival of fruit and vegetables was around 13,000 tonnes.

With opening of the new Kisan Bhawan having 100 beds, it would be able to provide night shelter to farmers/growers. The Kisan Bhawan building had high-tech finishing, provision of solar-water heating, energy conservation, modern library, spacious parking, rain-water harvesting and indoor and outdoor green plants to make the building environment friendly.

The new office complex had an auditorium with sitting capacity of 200 persons, display projector, conference room with capacity of 60 persons, computer centres, spacious parking, rain-water harvesting and ultra-modern communication system.

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