Siliguri, 22nd September: The Siliguri Regulated Market is set to undergo a revamp, with plans also being considered to control the prices of essential commodities such as onions and sugar. State Minister Dilip Ghosh announced several plans following an important meeting at the regulated market on Tuesday.
The meeting was attended by Agriculture Marketing Department Secretary Abhinav Chandra, the SDO, the DM and market traders.
During the meeting, several issues concerning the existing infrastructure of the Siliguri Regulated Market were raised. Minister Dilip Ghosh said the market has problems related to roads and drainage, as well as its entry and exit points.
Ghosh said a processing centre could also be developed inside the market. Plans are being considered for a separate processing unit for thermocol and other waste.
At present, traders have to pay municipal workers to remove waste from the market. According to the minister, introducing waste processing facilities within the market could reduce this cost and also create an opportunity to generate income from processed waste.
The market will also be provided with an improved drinking water facility. A rest area for truck drivers coming from outside may also be developed. Plans are also in place to set up a cold storage facility at the market.
Two more meetings were held at the regulated market on Tuesday, one with onion traders and another with sugar traders. Discussing the rise in onion prices, Ghosh said efforts are being made to bring onions to the market at around Rs 35 per kg by the end of this month.
Meanwhile, the target is to bring down the price of sugar to Rs 50 per kg or below by the end of this month, the minister said.
