Delhi Development Minister Gopal Rai along with Food & Civil Supplies Minister Asim Ahmed Khan on Monday evening reviewed the vegetable prices situation due to unseasonal rain in many parts of the country resulting in short supply of vegetables.
Rai has directed the officials of concerned departments to take immediate measures to check the rising prices of green vegetables, tomatoes, onions and potatoes, which affect the common households. The Minister has also directed to keep eye on commission margin and conduct more raids/checks to contain rising prices of vegetables in the national Capital.
The Pioneer had carried on its front page a story on soaring prices of green vegetables in Delhi. The prices of some green vegetables have touched the ‘century mark’ in the city due to short supply and unseasonal rainfall in neighbouring areas.
After a meeting with senior officials of Agriculture Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) and Department of Food & Supplies, the Development Minister ordered a display of MRP in three major wholesale vegetable markets. Officials have been directed to make immediate arrangements for prices to be relayed through electronic and print media fora. This step is necessary to avoid confusion and panic about prices among the people.
The Minister has directed that exorbitant margins charged by commission agents should be immediately curbed. Officials have been directed to keep a close check on the margin of profit between purchases from farmers and the final price on which it is sold in retail market.
Rai has also directed to send teams for conducting surprise checks to contain the rising prices, which could be due to variety of factors, including hoarding and charging of higher prices due to collusion among various agencies.
Apart from the abovementioned emergency measures, the Minister has asked for medium and long-term measures to keep the prices of perishables under check, particularly during summer and monsoon months.
At the meeting, it was also decided that a taskforce will be set up to identify new areas to open more such
markets in order to reduce pressure on existing markets.