The denizens of Ranchi will soon get ‘fresh vegetables and fruits’ at a reasonable rate in a retail outlet as well as through ‘door-to-door service’. Courtesy, the Jharkhand State Adivasi Co-operative Vegetable Marketing Federation ltd (Vegfed), which is mulling a full-fledged operation of 15 such outlets by the end of this year.
As of now, five such outlets have been constructed and will be handed over to the interested persons after their applications are processed on March 10 at the office of Vegfed.
“Presently, we are to begin our retail outlets at Hinoo Chowk, Ashok Nagar Road Number 4, Rajendra Chowk, besides Bariatu police station and adjacent to Sido-Kanhu Park in a public-private partnership mode. The people who qualify in the tender opening process will have to sign a contract for a period of 15 years. This includes Rs 5.5 lakh subsidy amount to be paid by the State Government and payment of Rs 4.5 lakh from the qualifier’s side (involving monthly rent of Rs 2,500),” an official of Vegfed said on Friday.
Also, the official indicated of beginning the five outlets by the end of this month if the interested persons are okayed by the tender committee framed under the aegis of Vegfed Managing Director Surendra Singh.
According to the official, local farmers of this region who are associated with Vegetable Growers Cooperative Societies (VGCS) farm will be providing the fresh vegetables and fruits in these retail outlets.
He said, “Our role is to provide facilities to VGCS representatives for supplying their products to the outlets. Obviously, it will cut down 30 to 40 percent amount pocketed by middlemen. As a result, consumers will get ‘farm fresh’ products below market price. Also, ice-parlors will be available here. In future we would tie-up with Sudha Dairy for milk-product supply.”
For residents who cannot go out of home for purchasing vegetables, each of these five outlets will have 10 mobile vending carts which would deliver required vegetables and fruits just at a phone call. “Vegfed is a nodal agency for these two mentioned plans under National Vegetable Initiative for Urban Clusters,” the official maintained.