Chief Secy tells Task Force to regulate veggie prices

Kolkata: Chief Secretary Manoj Pant on Friday held a meeting of the task force responsible for regulating the price of essential commodities particularly vegetables in the market and passed directions for maintaining a steady supply chain so that prices do not go up during the Durga Puja.

There is sufficient stock of potatoes in the cold storages which will suffice before new potatoes foray in the market.

Hence, necessary directions have been passed to ensure adequate supply to different parts of the state, including Kolkata.

The potato in the retail market is selling at Rs 30 to Rs 40 per kg while in Sufal Bangla the price is s 27 per kg.

The state government has opened up purchasing centres in different parts of the state and are directly buying vegetables from the farmers and channelising the stuff to different markets so that the price remains under control. At least 58 such centres are operating in the state. Sufal Bangla which is closed for six days during Puja will remain closed for only three days for the benefit of the consumers. Presently, there are 642 Sufal Bangla outlets including several temporary ones that have opened up in the districts so that people can purchase quality products at reasonable prices.

Onion that is selling at Rs 60 per kg is selling at Rs 45 per kg at Sufal Bangla.

The Sukhsagar variety of onion is being purchased from farmers in Hooghly, East Burdwan, Nadia and Murshidabad and is being sold through Sufal Bangla. The price of vegetables like chilli, tomato and onion that is imported from other states has already started to reduce there and it is expected that the price will stabilize in due course. Members of the task force and the Enforcement Branch of state police have been instructed to conduct raids in the market to ensure price stability.