Post Chief Minister’s prod, task force raids markets in state
Kolkata: A day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee directed bringing down the steep prices of vegetables in the market within 10 days, the members of the task force in Kolkata and the district administration in districts raided different markets to regulate the same.
The task force team in Kolkata along with Kolkata Police’s Enforcement Branch visited Koley Market (wholesale) in Sealdah and VIP Market (retail) in Kankurgachi. The team noted down the prices of different vegetables and instructed the shop owners to lower their profit margin.
The price of pointed gourd, tomato etc has already come down. “In commodities like cucumber and carrot, we came across a large difference in wholesale and retail market price which is not desirable.
The retail market has been warned against such unlawful practices,” said Rabindranath Koley, a Task Force member said. Potato sold at Rs 35 per kg in retail market but with the CM’s instructions of releasing potatoes from cold storage, the price is expected to come down in the next seven days, an optimistic task force member said. BDO of Asansol Sadar, Biswajit Bhattacharjee led a team to different markets in Asansol and stumbled upon striking difference in prices in wholesale and retail markets.
The retail markets were warned against charging hefty prices. Spot fine was charged from some shopkeepers in retail markets. The weighing machines of different markets were also found to be defective with the BDO giving instructions for immediate rectification.
“Brinjal that was selling at Rs 120 per kg reduced to 80, pointed gourd has come down from Rs 60 to 40, tomato from Rs 90 -100 per kg came down in the range of Rs 70-80,” a customer said. The police team visited markets in Birbhum on Wednesday and took note of the prices at retail and wholesale markets. They warned of action against businessmen found indulging in hoarding and black marketing.
Prices have also started stabilizing in Murshidabad markets. “The challenge is to control the price of potato and onion which is an integral part of daily cooking. Onion price has gone upto Rs 50 per kg,” said an Agriculture Marketing department official.
In Howrah markets too, the price of vegetables like ridge gourd, brinjal, green chilli etc. came down by 20 to 25 per cent in comparison to last week.
