Agri-marketing task force takes stock of several issues

A meeting of the task force was held in Nabanna on Thursday. Chief Secretary Basudeb Banerjee, Home Secretary Moloy Dey, Commissioner of the Kolkata Police Soumen Mitra and officials of the agriculture department were present in the meeting.

According to an official, various important issues including hike in the price of potato and chicken, mixing of colours in vegetables, use of carbide to ripe fruits was discussed in the meeting.

Steps needed to keep the price of potato within Rs 17 to Rs 18 per kg were discussed. It may be mentioned that the price of jyoti potato had gone up to Rs 20 per kg a few days ago. But recently it has come down to Rs 17 per kg in the markets in the city and other urban areas. It has been discussed that the price shouldn’t go up again and the task force will take certain steps to cap the price of potato at Rs 17 per kg so that common people doesn’t get harassed unnecessarily.

Steps were also been taken to avoid mixing of soil in potato. A section of traders mix soil in potato to give it a fresh look and it results to an increase in weight. 

Members of the task force will be keeping a tab on the price of potato and other essential commodities in the markets. Besides potato, skyrocketing in the price of chicken has also come up as a cause of concern for the task force.

Sources in Nabanna said that steps had been taken for smooth running of the 50 shops of the state government from where chicken is being sold. Price of chicken in these shops was around Rs 150 to Rs 160 while that of in other shops it is around Rs 200.

The task force has coordinated with the samitis and cooperatives in different markets urging them to take proposed steps to check unnecessary hike in the price of essential goods. It may be mentioned that the task force had held the previous meeting on March 3 when the price of potato had gone up to Rs 14 per kg from Rs 10 per kg in some places. Steps were then taken to cap the price of potato at Rs 14 per kg.