Jalpaiguri: On Sunday, a task force led by Sadar Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Tamojit Chakraborty raided markets in Jalpaiguri, targeting the soaring prices of essential vegetables like potatoes, onions and cauliflower. Inspections were carried out at Din Bazar, Station Bazar and Boyle Khana Bazar.
At Din Bazar, officials discovered an intermediary inflating prices between wholesalers and godowns, causing buyers to pay Rs 10-12 more per kg. Following the raid, prices dropped by Rs 10, bringing relief to consumers. On the day of the raid, potatoes were being sold at Rs 35-40 per kg, onions at Rs 70-80 and cauliflower at Rs 60-70. SDO Chakraborty expressed strong disapproval, insisting that potatoes should not exceed Rs 30, onions Rs 70 and cauliflower Rs 50 per kg.
Vendors struggled to provide purchase slips. Shubo Das, a seller, explained: “5 kg of every 20 kg batch is damaged, so higher prices are necessary for profit.” Uday Prasad, in-charge of Din Bazar Wholesale, agreed, saying: “We also want to charge fair prices.”