Antidote against negativity #23

BOT as a concept took roots in India in late 90s. Toll was levied on all vehicles plying on
patches of national and state highways. Invariably, on all toll plazas, the design team economized
on the number of gates. Vehicles queued up and people wasted time and fuel.

Agriculture acreage in Raigad district sunk at a rapid pace. A principle factor was the
industrialization in the district. However, another important factor was the price that got paid for
the agricultural produce. With the vicinity to Mumbai, it was enriching to sale the land than toil
in it. The APMC was of no use. Over years it has become a den of political thugs and
hoodwinks. I have seen tomatoes and watermelons rotting in the fields because the cost of
plucking them was less than the value that could be derived from selling them at the then
prevailing wholesale rates.

There were many other changes that happened during last two decades. The density and
penetration of mobile phones and cable TV increased exponentially. The expenses on food and
other essential commodities went up. Even as the economy increased in terms of GDP, the %
gross national savings went down. It became essential for the households to increase their
income to meet their ends meet. In today’s antidote, I am going to tell you the story of how a
group of women from rural areas of Pen created opportunities from these economic upheavals.

Toll was levied on the Kharpada Bridge by the beginning of the millennium. The women around
Kharpada identified a business opportunity. They started selling cut sections of watermelons to
the passengers, as their vehicles moved in a queue at snail’s pace. This was re-packaging and
retailing, of sorts. The same watermelon that then sold at a wholesale price of Rs.2 started
fetching them Rs.10 and more. As I observed over a decade, they increased their offerings to
Peanuts, Fruit Plate, Bisleri Water, raw cashews etc. Vaishali was one of the pioneers. She was
quickly joined by the other women from the nearby villages. As these women expanded
business, they hired men for the menial jobs of getting the deliveries from their houses to the toll
plaza. The selling part was always retained by these women. They never outsourced this core
activity. Also, to avoid confrontations within themselves, they agreed on a timetable so that each
one was able to get a fair share of the market.

With the government deciding to abandon toll, these women have suddenly lost the business that
they painstakingly built over the years. However, the experience they have got in the process is
invaluable. I will not be surprised to see them coming out with another business idea soon.

Some 10 kms from Kharpada on the way to Pen, there is a place called Balawali. More than a
decade back, this was a sleepy village with little economic activity beyond farming. As the
number of vehicles plying on the Mumbai-Goa quadrupled, the women in this village opened up
shanty shops on the highway. Initially, they sold vegetables produced in their farms. It was an
additional income for the family. The bulk from their fields was bought by the agents at throw
away price. The fresh and cheap vegetables attracted the attention of commuter on Goa Road.
Soon, a dozen odd cars could be found parked there as people stopped to buy. They then added
products like Coconuts, Bananas, Jackfruits etc. The place became popular by the name of
“Dubai Bazar”. The women further cashed on the brand. They bought fruits like Apples,
Pomegranates, Strawberries etc and vegetables like Capsicum, Carrots, Baby Corn etc from Pune
/ Vashi markets at wholesale rates. It was like a supermarket covering the entire menu. People
ignored the price and bought these items because of sheer convenience. The shops worked
overtime on weekends and festivals like Ganpati and Holi when the traffic on this road peaked.
Soon this became the major source of income and the men from the families too joined in.

Goa Highway is proposed to be double-laned. The shops were taken down for road expansion.
The shops are now set up a few yards away from the original location. However, the road in front
of it is forked and this has impacted their business. I am confident that by the time the road work
is completed these industrious women would come out with another strategy to tackle the
challenges posed by these external factors.

There are many lessons to learn from these two initiatives. One important lesson is that - direct to
market is the best strategy for making agriculture sustainable. The second lesson is that when
women take charge, the results are phenomenally better.

People who say that men and women are equal, are stupid. Women are clearly superior to men.

I SALUTE Vaishali and many others like her for their enterprising nature and hard work.

- Subodh Gadgil (January 11, 2016)