Warning the pulses traders of the city of stringent action against the hoarders, Cuttack district Collector NC Mishra on Monday urged the people not to go for panic buying of the commodity.
“Sufficient quantities of pulses are now available with the traders at Malgodown and strong measures are taken to keep the prices of these commodities under control,” Mishra said after meeting the traders in his chamber.
He said due to rumours spread in the market, people are going in for panic buying that is causing an artificial shortage of the commodity leading to price hike. “I urge people not to get carried away with the rumours and stop panic buying,” the Collector said.
The price of arhar dal, which was skyrocketed late last year and in March this year over traders’ refusal to import it due to hefty VAT, had come down to between `125 and `130 per kg. But all of a sudden, the price registered a mild upward trend last week spreading panic among consumers.