Traders, consumers raise alarm over Jharkhand mandis, Chamber seeks Minister’s intervention

The condition of Jharkhand’s agricultural markets has once again come under sharp focus with the Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce flagging poor infrastructure, rising theft, and lack of basic facilities that continue to trouble both traders and consumers.

A Chamber delegation led by President Aditya Malhotra met Agriculture Minister Shilpi Neha Tirkey in Ranchi on Saturday and urged her intervention to improve the situation. The delegation pointed out that market committees have repeatedly ignored complaints, forcing traders to escalate the matter to the state government.

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According to the Chamber, the absence of toilets, drinking water, storage facilities and proper crowd management is making the mandis increasingly unworkable. Traders said customers too are directly affected as the markets remain congested and unsafe. The lack of security personnel has led to a spurt in thefts and snatching incidents.

“Despite raising these issues several times with mandi secretaries, no corrective action was taken. The situation cannot continue like this,” Malhotra told reporters after the meeting.

The Chamber suggested that Pandara Mandi in Ranchi be developed as a model market in the first phase. Such a move, they argued, would not only address immediate concerns but also serve as a template for upgrading other mandis across the state.

Minister Tirkey assured the delegation that their concerns would be addressed. She said she would soon visit Pandara Mandi along with Chamber officials and hold a meeting with traders from across Jharkhand to chalk out necessary measures.

“The government is committed to strengthening agricultural markets and we will act on these issues,” she said.

The delegation included vice president Praveen Lohia, Ram Bangad, general secretary Rohit Agarwal, joint secretary Navjot Alang, Rohit Poddar, treasurer Anil Agarwal, Ranchi Chamber president Sanjay Mahuri, wholesale potato and onion traders’ association president Madan Sahu, member Ganesh Agarwal and several traders from Pandara Mandi.