Frequent power cuts hit trade in Pune Market Yard jaggery and grain section

Pune: With festive buying picking up at Pune's Market Yard, traders in the jaggery and grain section are troubled by repeated power cuts. For the past few days the supply has been failing often and fluctuating in voltage, halting electronic weighing scales, computerised billing and GST-related work.

Large volumes of farm produce and money change hands in the section every day, and most transactions run on computers and electronic equipment. When the power goes, weighing, billing and the movement of goods stop, holding up customers, suppliers and transporters as well as traders, who say they are losing money.

The merchants' chamber has written to MSEDCL and the Pune Agricultural Produce Market Committee seeking a permanent fix, and has demanded an uninterrupted supply at the proper voltage for the section.

Business has picked up for the festivals, but the power cuts are shutting down the electronic scales and disrupting everyday trade, said Rajendra Gugale, former president of The Poona Merchants' Chamber.

Source: Pudhari