Plan on new Hopcoms outlets in cold storage

You may have to continue paying higher prices for vegetables and fruits as the Hopcoms’ move to start 100 new outlets in and around Bangalore is facing delay.

There are more than 290 Horticulture Produce Cooperative Marketing Societies (Hopcoms) outlets in the city. Most of them generate a revenue of `1,000 a day on an average. It is the only chain in the city providing vegetables and fruits at fair prices.

“We wanted to make this option available to more people but we have not been able to get any cooperation from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike [BBMP] or Bangalore Development Authority as they say that they cannot make space available in parks anymore,” said Krishna Murthy, general manager, Hopcoms, Bangalore.

According to the BBMP’s Parks Act, no sale of products can happen inside the parks. “Currently, almost all the Hopcoms outlets in the city are situated in or near parks. Some of them are temporary structures. We had identified around 100 such structures where sales of vegetables were increasing from `1,000 a day to `2,000 and above,” Murthy said.

The BBMP has expressed willingness to help Hopcoms set up new stalls but says it is subject to the availability of space. “The Hopcoms chairman had met me personally and asked me to provide space. We are now short of space and will look for it. When we get space, we will give it to them,” said Siddaiah, BBMP commissioner.