Bangladeshi woman held in Vasant Kunj for illegal stay; 145 detained so far: Delhi Police
A 23-year-old woman, a native of Bangladesh, who had been residing illegally in Vasant Kunj, was held by the Delhi Police on Friday, it said.
During her visit to the market, the Delhi chief minister gave strict instructions to improve sanitation and security at Asia’s largest wholesale market for fruits and vegetables.
File Photo
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta visited Azadpur Mandi, the Asia’s largest wholesale market for fruits and vegetables, on Friday to review the on-ground situation.
Taking note of the concerns of the traders, farmers and commission agents, she expressed her government’s resolve to modernise the market and gave strict instructions to officials to immediately improve the sanitation and security of the entire mandi.
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Gupta said that the government’s goal is to make Delhi’s markets well-organized, safe, and farmer-friendly.
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During her visit, the chief minister interacted with traders, workers, and visitors and listened to their problems and expressed serious concern over lack of basic amenities, poor sanitation, inadequate security, and rampant corruption in the complex. She said Delhi’s mandis are not just trade centres but the lifeline of the national capital.
“Our goal is to transform every mandi into a clean, well-organized, and modern facility where farmers, traders, and consumers could operate in a safe and amiable environment,” she emphasized.
She expressed her deep dissatisfaction over the deteriorating condition of the market, stating that thousands of people work at Azadpur Mandi which lacks basic basic infrastructure, sanitation, and security, while heavy movement of trucks, rotting vegetables, broken roads, and dilapidated toilets have turned the entire mandi into a garbage heap.
Taking a jibe at the previous AAP government, Gupta remarked, “In the last ten years, they have turned the mandis into centers of corruption. Neither traders nor workers were heard. No effort was made to understand or address their core issues,” she added.
Criticizing the previous government further, she said, “Those who once promised to turn Delhi into London or Paris should stand the stench of this mandi. These markets need a complete renovation, and we are committed to it.”
Highlighting flaws in sanitation, health facilities, access to drinking water, and traffic management, she attributed them to administrative failure and corruption.
Announcing a comprehensive plan to modernize and restructure Azadpur Mandi, she directed officials to install CCTV cameras across the mandi starting from all entry points to ensure robust security and to monitor vehicular movement, and prevent discrepancies in registrations and gate entries.
Additionally, she directed deployment of extra sanitary staff within a week to improve cleanliness and installation of a compactor and green waste processing plant within the mandi premises, eliminating the need to transport waste elsewhere.
She ordered immediate renovation of roads, sheds, and toilets, assuring a dedicated committee assigned to oversee the renovations and ensure that all facilities are made fully functional. A health facility will be set up within the existing Kisan Bhawan building to provide first-aid and emergency medical services, and an Atal Canteen will be launched to offer affordable meals for workers.
Gupta also informed that the management of the mandi will be restructured with the appointment of a new team to undertake strict anti-corruption measures.
She also ordered an audit of the past 10 years budgets to examine expenditures and ensure future transparency.
A new plan will also be drawn up to develop a modern wholesale market with better infrastructure, advanced facilities, a secure environment, and a corruption-free system, added the CM.
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