June 3: Wholesale grain merchants of Navi Mumbai, owing allegiance to the Grain and Oilseed Merchants Association (GROMA), today went on a token strike protesting against the increasing number of robberies in the Agricultural Produce Market complex (APMC). The strike was withdrawn in the afternoon after Deputy Commissioner S V Gonarkar and ACP Sambaji Dange assured the traders that police patrolling in the market complex would be intensified through the newly set up APMC police station.
However, traders have threatened to launch an indefinite strike “if there is no perceivable change in the situation.” They said the initial sense of security is on the wane and it would be difficult to do business if immediate steps were not taken to restore traders confidence. The agitating traders this morning had discussions with the police officials and APMC chief executive officer Nandkumar Jantre expressing concern over the deteriorating law and order situation. Robberies and burglaries have been on the rise and only on Saturday a trader who withdrew Rs two lakh from a bank in the complex was looted in broad daylight.
Jantre later told press persons that the traders assured him that markets would resume normal business tomorrow. He said the committee’s own security force would also be augmented. The APMC police station, he said, had come under severe stress following increase in volume of business transacted at the market. Meanwhile, Navi Mumbai Merchants Chamber headed by Mohan Gurnani had separate round of talks with the officials over the security issue.