The New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) is undertaking a survey to see where Sufal Bangla can be offered space to sell their products. The development follows resident complaints of inconvenience after the mobile outlets of the outfit were barred by the civic authorities from selling their farm and poultry products on the pavements of the township without permission.
Sufal Bangla, an initiative of the department of agricultural marketing, had stepped into New Town on October 5, 2018 with 22 stalls. Their popularity increased during lockdown. Till recently, they were operating 53 outlets, including 30 mobile ones doing business on the pavements. Operations of the 30 outlets were stopped after the objection from NKDA last month.
“We received complaints of fraudulent agencies operating on New Town pavements with similar sounding names like Sujal Bangla, Sabji Bangla or Sashya Bangla. When investigating the case, it emerged that even Sufal Bangla had no permission. A government outfit cannot operate like this. We called a meeting and the issue was amicably resolved. They have withdrawn on their own till proper permissions are in place,” said NKDA chairman Debashis Sen.
NKDA officials are looking for space in water tank complexes, green verges and parks where Sufal Bangla stalls can do business in the morning, especially in places like CE Block where NKDA markets have not come up or blocks which do not have housing complexes to host a stall inside.
But despite residents’ protests, Sufal Bangla will not be allowed back on the pavements, stated an NKDA official. “Even in Salt Lake, they operate in market areas, not on the streets.”
Sufal Bangla operates both mobile and static outlets. Of the four static outlets it has in New Town, two are in BD Market and Action Area IIB market. The best performing one is inside Sukhobrishti complex which stays open till 10pm, a Sufal Bangla official said. At the CB Block community market, Swattik, the stall allotted to Sufal Bangla, sells organic products.
Sufal Bangla products on display on the pavement outside Greenwood Sonata in March 2020.
Sudeshna BanerjeeWhile several housing complexes already had Sufal Bangla coming in, quite a few have offered them space inside their gates after the footpath sales stopped. The first was Animikha from August 21. Akankha and Greenwood Sonata started from September 1. Chirashree and Subhashree clusters of Shree housing complex and Matribhumi in Action Area 1 are the latest to allow sales, from September 4. Another six or seven applications have come, Sufal Bangla sources said.
Access woes
While this has solved the problems of the residents of the complex, access has become a problem for other buyers. The stall in front of Greenwood Sonata used to cater to Alaktika and Ujjwala as well. Now that it is operating inside a closed gate of Greenwood Sonata, The Telegraph Salt Lake spotted a couple of residents of Ujjwala peering through the grille of the gate to see what products were in the crates spread out on the ground. “We cannot choose the vegetables ourselves any more from outside,” said one, as a stall assistant packed a crate of eggs for a buyer standing outside and passed it through the grille. “Our sale inside the gate is one-third of what it used to be outside,” said the youth selling the products.
Another problem for the others has been the hike in prices at the shanty stalls on the opposite pavement. “With Sufal Bangla out of bounds for us, they are sensing that we are dependant on them and are making us pay through the nose,” a resident complained. Indeed, a quick scan of the comparative prices revealed lady’s finger being sold on Sunday at Rs 25 a kilo at the Sufal Bangla counter while outside inferior quality was selling at Rs 30. Jyoti potatoes cost Rs 13 inside and Rs 15 outside. Bitter gourd was Rs 30 inside and Rs 40 outside.
“Other housing complexes are welcome to apply to us for counters,” said a Sufal Bangla official.
Stall-owners at community markets are happy with the NKDA step. “They should now oust the hawkers selling fish and vegetables at the MAR crossing who started sitting there inspired by Sufal Bangla. They are eating into our business. We paid lakhs for these stalls,” said a seller at the CB Block community market
saltlake@abp.in
