Meer Irfan
Several local apple merchants at Fruit Mandi, Shopian held silent protest against presence of defaulters during the trade. The protesters alleged that non-local apple merchants buy apple on credit basis with post dated cheques of J&K bank and most of their cheques get bounced.
This practice of deception in the Mandi is going on since long and the government was acting as a silent spectator, the protesters alleged. Such defaulters have forced several fruit agents to end their lives as they have nothing to pay to the apple growers.
The local fruit merchants stressed that the government should frame a strict law on fastrack basis so that such deceptions and defaulters do not stand a chance in the trade.
The protesters also thanked Shopian police for arresting a defaulter from Chennai who had an outstanding amount of ₹ 2.30 Crores at Shopian Mandi. The protesters said that bail should not be granted to him until he doesn’t pay the outstanding amount.
Meanwhile, the president of the Fruit Mandi, Mir Mohd. Amin said that this trade was based on credit basis with post dated Cheques. “But the clause Of J&K Bank over cheque bounce does not work on the ground and deceptive merchants deceive the local merchants of Shopian. So, a concrete law must be formed and should be enacted,” said Amin.