Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Sunday launched the online web portal of the Solan Fruit and Vegetable market, which has become the first retail vegetable market of the country to be made online for retail sale and purchase of the produce of farmers thereby directly benefitting them.
While addressing after launching the web portal at Solan Vegetable Market, the CM said that the State Government was considering to place online supply orders throughout the state for providing vegetables to the consumers for which hpsubjimandi.com portal was being designed.
He said that two vegetable and fruit markets of the State, Solan and Shimla have now been linked online with National Vegetable Market Portal. This would facilitate the timely and online sale and purchase of the produce of the farmers, said he adding that the third phase of Solan vegetable market would also be linked online with National vegetable market web portal soon in near future.
He said that the farmers will get adequate price for their produce and would be able to know the day to day rates of fruits and vegetables of national markets besides the payments would directly be deposited in the bank accounts of the farmers.
Head of National Agriculture Market (NAM), Jitendar Singh said that NAM was now the umbrella market for facilitating the sale and purchase and direct online sale of produce of the farmers. It also facilitated them to learn about the market prices of the fruits and vegetables, he added.
As many as 526 fruit and vegetable markets were linked with the online portal in first stage and more than 7000 vegetable markets in the country would be linked with the online portal as developed under National Agriculture Marketing Programme.
The Chief Minister, earlier, laid the foundation stone Rs 4.36 crore Solan Multipurpose Cultural Centre at village Kothon. The Centre will house an auditorium and an open stage for cultural and other such activities.
He also laid foundation stone of the Public Park at Ganj Bazar, Solan to cost Rs 50 lakh.
The Chief Minister also presided over the closing ceremony of the National Open Bridge Championship and distributed prizes to the winners. He said that tournaments of all types were a challenge to prove ones capability and indoor games help in enhancing thinking ability. He announced a sum of Rs three lakh for HP Bridge Association.
Earlier, while speaking on the sidelines of a function, Chief Minister said that Municipal Corporation (MC) could be created in Solan, provided the people of the town agreed to it. He said that the Government does not want to forcibly implement the decision of creating MC.
He said that suggestions and objections would be invited from people before taking any such decision, adding that though MCs were the need of the hour in big towns and cities.
Virbhadra Singh said that there should be open recreational parks for the children and the elderly in every town, which not only add to the beauty but also facilitate the people.