Agra (India): The famous Agra Petha is out of bounds at railway stations in the Taj city.

"When passengers from Delhi bound for south get down to collect a kilo or two of the petha, they are terribly disappointed not to find a vendor selling petha," a daily commuter Vishnu said.

At the smaller station some hawkers have been selling petha clandestinely. But at the Raja ki Mandi and Agra Cantt railway station Petha selling totally banned.

The reason given by the railway authorities is that the firm that had the contract has not shown interest and the process of tendering to appoint a new one is to be finalised.

Divisional railway manager Devesh Mishra told Agratoday.in, "we are working out some formula to resolve the tussle, but the private vendor who had been supplying Petha has not responded and has in fact cheated the railways."

Mishra said he would consider involving the railway officers’ wives' association to organise sale of the Petha at Agra Cantt railway station. The proceeds can be used for socially useful activities, he added.

For past six months railway passengers are not getting Agra Petha at the stations. "Agra's identity all over India is because of the Taj Mahal and Petha. It is sad that the railway authorities have taken so much time to sort out this technical issue. They must without delay ensure that petha was allowed to be sold at the stations," said Surendra Sharma, president of Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation Society.

Every few days there is a raid to catch hawkers and vendors who try to sell Petha to passengers.

Earlier the local popular brand Panchi Petha was being sold at the Agra stations. But after some dispute Panchi Petha withdrew and the formalities for a re-tender are deadlocked, according to a railway official.

But they don’t realise the harm that is being caused and the business loss to the Petha industry in Agra. The Petha Association wants delicening of the procedure so that even the smaller manufacturers get a chance to sell their product at the stations.