MP Pushes for Gnanapuram Wholesale Market Facelift

visakhapatnam:Visakhapatnam MP Matukumilli Sribharat underlined the urgent need to modernize the Gnanapuram Wholesale Vegetable Market, an important commercial center of the city. During his visit to the market, Sribharat inspected daily operations and interacted with traders, workers and farmer representatives, emphasizing that infrastructure improvements were vital to meet future urban growth and commercial demands.

The MP noted that while large-scale trading activity is already taking place, facilities such as parking, loading and unloading zones, internal roads, storage, sanitation and traffic management remain inadequate. He emphasized the need for a more organized wholesale market system, proposing the establishment of an integrated market area with highway connectivity to improve logistics and benefit traders, farmers, transporters and consumers. Citing the Koyambedu Wholesale Market Complex in Chennai as a successful model, Sribharat said modernized markets can serve as strong economic engines for urban centres.

Acknowledging concerns about displacement or modernization, he assured stakeholders that development would be phased in to protect livelihoods. Gnanapuram market currently supports around 60 traders, over 500 workers and around 100 office staff and assistants, making it a crucial ecosystem for hundreds of families. Sribharat reiterated that infrastructure development is indispensable for the growth of Visakhapatnam and promised to transform the market into a modern trading hub in collaboration with all stakeholders.

During his visit, the MP was accompanied by representatives of Vaishnavi Wholesale Vegetable Market Association, including president K. Veerraju, secretary V. Paramesh, P. Srinivasulu, K. Prasad, K. Poorna and NSB Srinu.