Raid in city markets against exorbitant prices potatoes, onions and essential items

Amidst devastating flood situation across Tripura, despite state has sufficient stock of all essential food items and fuel products including petrol and diesel and there is no situation for panic, but a section of errant traders taking the advantages of the situation are trying for hoarding of essential food items.

But, vigilant administrator in continuation of the drive against hoarding of essential food items and vegetables, specially to control the soaring prices of potatoes and onions across markets of the capital city, the authorities of Sadar (SDM) and the Food and Civil Supply department on Saturday has also conducted their raids in many markets of Agartala and take appropriate legal action against errant traders.

But, the Onion prices touched Rs 60 a kilogram in a number of retail markets across Agartala in the past four days.

Official sources said that hoarding by a section of traders despite adequate stocks, especially to control the prices of onion, the authorities of SDM (Sadar) has also served notices to few wholesale traders of onions at Maharajganj market for taking extra prices on onion. The enforcement team on Saturday has also sealed a shop and also stopped selling of a wholesale onion trader in MG Bazar  for illegally taking extra price on wholesale onion rate.

While the minimum price of onions in the retail markets in Agartala is Rs 55 to 60 a kilogram, in certain markets located in the city it is being sold at Rs 65 to 70 a kilogram.

The Sadar sub divisional team led by Subdivisional Food controller, Pradip Kumar Bhwomik  on Saturday  continued their raids in both wholesale and retail markets of MG Bazar and found many discrepancies.

The task force members have started taking precautionary measures to control the prices. Accompanied by the police, they have started visiting different retail stalls, asking the sellers to maintain the price of potatoes, onions and other vegetables within a reasonable range.

The skyrocketing price of potatoes and onions is due to a section of traders as there are sufficient stocks in all markets of the city, said Bhowmik and appealed to the customers to verify the rates of onion before purchasing by visiting numbers of shops.

The state has to depend in a major way for supply from Nasik in Maharashtra, but at present huge quantities of fresh onion stock are available in the city , said Bhowmik and onion and potatoes loaded trucks are coming in the state capital on Monday as plying of heavy goods carrying vehicles stopped in Atharamura portion of NH-8 after heavy rainfall.

However, he admitted that high prices of , potatoes, onion and other vegetables in the retail markets and it is because some middlemen and hoarders are artificially jacking up the price and the administration have served notices to some wholesale traders and if they did not rectify, then administration will take necessary action under Essential Commodity Act, said Bhowmik.

The Food department authorities said that their regular drives in all major markets of the state capital with the teams of Sadar-SDM and Legal Meteorology department to check the prices of all essential commodities has been continued.

But, some traders are also selling onions at much higher prices, which will not be tolerated and the government once again issued strict warnings. They hoped that within the next few days, the prices will come down and people will get some relief.

The authorities have requested the traders to maintain the prices and should avoid any kind of hoarding of essential items.

Earlier, on Friday, the Food department authorities had convened a meeting with traders to control the prices and they have also made announcements in every market urging the traders not to take extra prices from customers.