Chandigarh, Sept. 25 -- Apni mandis in Chandigarh were introduced in the 1980s to give residents direct access to fresh fruits and vegetables at affordable prices. But now, they have become a daily mess with poor management. Lack of basic facilities such as proper parking, mobile toilets, and water supply has left both shoppers and farmers grappling with daily inconvenience.

Spread across 14 locations in the city on fixed days, these markets host over 300 farmers and vendors, per day, from Punjab and Chandigarh, offering produce directly from the fields.

First introduced by the Punjab Mandi Board in the 1980s, apni mandis were meant to be a farmer-friendly, consumer-centric initiative. The Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) also bega...