Community-led Haat for local farmers coming up at Reshithang

BIJOY GURUNG

GANGTOK, : A community-driven rural haat exclusively for Sikkim’s farmers is taking shape at Reshithang, just a few kilometres from Gangtok, aiming to offer local growers a dedicated space to sell their organic produce directly to urban consumers.

Initiated by Upper Burtuk MLA Kala Rai, the ‘Gauley Bazaar’ aims to provide that much-needed space for the local farmers to sell their organic vegetables, agricultural produce, and animal husbandry products to the consumers of capital Gangtok.

The haat is being developed on a government land through Shramdan (volunteer work) with the local residents, youth and civil society of Upper Burtuk constituency, and well-wishers contributing with physical work and construction materials. It is located just below Khel Gaon and adjacent to Adampul-Reshithang highway.

MLA Kala Rai credits the under-construction ‘Gauley Bazaar’ to the vision of Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang-Golay for creating marketing space to the villagers in town areas.

The credit for this project goes to our Chief Minister who wants to create marketing avenues for our villagers, and he readily gave permission to this proposal as it aims to benefit our local villagers and farmers, said the MLA who is personally overseeing the initiative.

Works are progressing rapidly with local residents, panchayats and youth of Upper Burtuk reporting daily in groups to give volunteer physical work. Well-wishers have also chipped in with construction materials and equipment.

According to Rai, space would be allotted in the Reshithang rural haat only to farmers of Sikkim including those from Upper Burtuk and nearby constituencies of Shyari, Martam-Rumtek, Namcheybung, and Khamdong-Singtam.

This haat is only for farmers of Sikkim, the MLA emphasized, while sharing how the local farmers are not getting proper space in Gangtok’s main vegetable centre Lall Bazaar complex during haat days.

“Our farmers coming from far-flung villages do not get proper space to sell their vegetables at Lall Bazaar. They toil hard for months and when it comes to sell their vegetables, they find that there is no space for them at Lall Bazaar. Eventually, they do not get the desired rate for their vegetables and they have to return home disappointed. This is also a major reason why our farmers are gradually giving up agriculture.”

“Hence, we thought of converting this place in Reshithang into a haat that is purely dedicated to our farmers to sell their vegetables. We are making all efforts to have this haat operational a week before Dashain. Once it is set up, we appeal to the people to come here and purchase vegetables and other agriculture produce from our farmers. We have to make our farmers economically sound and self-reliant,” said the Upper Burtuk MLA.