Meeting held to curb rising potato and onion prices

Cooch Behar: In response to the recent surge in potato prices, a meeting was convened on Sunday at the Zilla Parishad conference hall under the leadership of Additional District Magistrate of Cooch Behar Zilla Parishad, Soumen Dutta. The session included members of the Cold Storage Association and Traders Association.

The discussion centered on the abrupt rise in potato prices in local markets. The district administration has issued a clear directive to regulate the retail price of potatoes, capping it at Rs 30 per kg. Similarly, the price of onions must not exceed Rs 50 per kg. Representatives from the Cold Storage Association have claimed that the prices within their facilities remain stable, suggesting that some unscrupulous traders are inflating prices in the retail market. The meeting was aimed at addressing this issue and controlling price manipulation.

The price hike came to the attention of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday, prompting her to issue special instructions regarding the sudden rise in vegetable prices, particularly potatoes, which had reached Rs 35 per kg in the market. In response, a task force was set up by the district administration to monitor and inspect various markets, leading to Sunday’s meeting.

Additional District Magistrate Soumen Dutta, speaking about the meeting, said: “Today’s meeting, organised by the task force, included members from both the cold storage and potato traders’ associations. It was made clear that potatoes should not be sold for more than Rs 30 and onions for more than Rs 50 in retail markets. The task force will maintain a continuous campaign to enforce this and any violations will be met with strict action.”

Amlesh Goswami, Convener of the Cold Storage Owners Association, stated: “We are supplying potatoes at the correct price from our end. However, some market traders are inflating the prices and this issue needs to be thoroughly investigated.”