ADB agrees to fund fruit and vegetable market

Project costing Rs50 million will be completed in two months

RAWALPINDI:

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has given final approval to a project to build a European-style vegetable, fruit and flower model market with state-of-the-art facilities.

This modern fruit and vegetable market will be built near Rawat in Rawalpindi.

The Punjab government will provide land for the model market while the ADB will provide funds.

Around 500 kanals of land will be acquired for the fruit, vegetable and flower market while construction of the market will cost Rs50 million.

The proposal to set up model markets in Punjab was put forward by Prime Minister Imran Khan and was approved by the Punjab government. The ADB has agreed to provide funding for the model market.

District Market Committee Chairman Chaudhry Imtiaz Ahmed told The Express Tribune that Punjab Agriculture Marketing Regulatory Authority has also approved setting up a model wholesale market in Rawalpindi.

He said that an agreement has also been reached with the ADB in this regard. Under the agreement, the Punjab government will provide land for the model market while the ADB will provide funds for its construction. Land acquisition for this model market will be completed in the next 2 months. This model market will also have a cold storage facility.

Rawalpindi has no vegetable and fruit market and now, for the first time, a model vegetable and fruit market is being set up in the garrison city.

Its establishment will reduce the prices of fruit and vegetables in Rawalpindi. The management has selected a place near Rawat for this model market. Rawat is the entrance gate of Rawalpindi.

The setting up of the model market will facilitate the delivery of vegetables and fruits to all the tehsils of the district. Parking, water, shade and stores will also be available in this model market. After the completion of the market, all whole-sale markets of the city will be shifted out of the city.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2021.