Poll code plays spoilsport for business at vegetable market near Tenkasi

Model Code of Conduct impacts business at Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Vegetable Market, affecting traders from Kerala due to cash restrictions.

The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has badly affected business at Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Vegetable Market at Pavoorchathiram near Tenkasi.

The market, formed in 1998 for the benefit of vegetable traders, ensures unhindered supply of fruits and vegetables to various vegetable markets of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. According to the traders here, they receive around 500 tonnes of vegetables everyday and sell 300 tonnes to Kerala alone. While the wholesale traders pay online, their retail counterparts from Kerala pay in cash.

“Due to the MCC, carrying over ₹50,000 in cash is prohibited. Traders coming from Kerala are affected by the static and the flying squads, who confiscate cash during vehicle checks. One of the squads seized ₹83,000 from a trader from Kerala on Tuesday. The trader has been asked to submit acceptable accounts for getting the money back,” said Jegan, a vegetable trader.

However, as retail vegetable traders do not maintain proper documents for every transaction, they face difficulties in retrieving their seized money.

“After buying vegetables at the market, I sell it to various retailers in Kerala. We don’t maintain records or proper receipts as we make entries for purchase or sale in a notebook. The flying squads don’t accept them,” said a trader from Kerala.

A static squad has been positioned at the entrance of the market for checking vehicles. “The Election Commission should think of small traders like us. We are not coming to Tamil Nadu to bribe the voters. We are coming here to buy vegetables and sell it in Kerala. Since the flying and static squad officials blindly apply the rules, we are seriously affected,” the trader from Kerala added.