In a major respite to the city denizens from “rising” prices of essential commodities, the UT Administration has decided to open four more stalls in the city to sell onions and potatoes at controlled prices.
UT Administration had earlier set up a special stall at the grain and vegetable market, Sector 26, where onions, are available at cheaper rates.Department of Food & Supplies and Consumer Affairs has decided to open four “low price stalls” at fair price shops covering all sub-divisions of Chandigarh including at Thakur Karyana Store (FPS of PDS), Mouli Jagran, SS Gen. Store, Super Market Sector-46, Eknoor karyana Store Sector-37 D and laxmi Self Help Group, 393, EWS flats, Dhanas.
A senior UT official said that the said fair price Shops will sell the onions and potatoes on “no profit and no loss basis” from July 4.Earlier on Thursday, Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Shivraj Patil presided over a high level meeting of senior UT officers and asked them to ensure the supply of onion and potato at reasonable rates by checking hoarding of these essential items.
Patil asked the officers of UT Food & Supply Department and Manimajra Cooperative Society to install at least four more stalls at different visible locations in the city like ‘Apni Mandi’ to sell onion and potato at controlled rates.
He also directed them to arrange mobile van to sell these items from sector to sector and also make announcement to create awareness among the general public. He asked them to maintain record of arrival of onion and potato and their retail and wholesale rates.The Administrator said that three sub-divisional level committees have already been constituted comprising SDM, SHOs, Inspector Food Supply, Mandi Supervisor and Marketing Supervisor to check the rates and storage of these items.
The Administrator also gave directions to the Police Department to make surprise checking in civil clothes to check the storage and rates of these items.The retail cost of Nasik onions and Rajasthan onions (in other sector markets) is about `40 and `30 per kg, respectively, while at UT Administration’s stall, these onions is being sold at `22 and `15 per kg in the wholesale market.