West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday blamed “vested interests” for the ever soaring prices of vegetables and asked her ministerial colleagues to “keep a constant vigil against their dirty designs.”
“Though the condition of West Bengal was far better than the other States, thanks to prompt action of the Government there has been a constant design by some vested interests who are trying to jack up prices of vegetables,” Industries Minister Partho Chatterjee quoted the Chief Minister as saying. “She asked all concerned to keep a constant vigil on the situation,” Chatterjee added.
“West Bengal is better off than the other States like Rajasthan, Bihar and Odisha where the situation is far worse,” the Chief Minister later told at a function adding how potato was selling for Rs 45-50 in Rajasthan and salt for Rs 150 in Bihar. “At least we have managed to pull back the prices through timely and quick intervention,” she insisted amid claim from the Opposition that the faulty policies of the Government had contributed to rising prices.
Banerjee also asked her ministerial colleagues to perform or leave their posts “because being on a particular post does not mean signing files and riding hooter-fitted cars rather it entails responsibility.”
With crops destroyed on account of prolonged monsoons Bengal had in the recent months seen unprecedented rise in vegetable prices. According to sources in Kolkata Corporation, vegetable prices barring potato have been hovering between Rs 60 and Rs 90 in major markets of the city.
“While the average price was around Rs 30-40 last year this year things have seen a hundred per cent hike in prices,” said a senior official in the Food and Civil Supplies Ministry. “The prices are unlikely to go down anytime soon,” said Professor Pranab Chatterjee of BC Roy agricultural university.
There has been at least 25 per cent less production against the normal 13.50 thousand tonnes of vegetables every year said an official of the Food Department blaming a prolonged rainy season.
However, State Opposition leader Suryakanto Mishra said while crop failure could lead to temporary rise in price rise “the large-scale hoarding and extortion of wholesalers by the ruling party goons” was the main reason of the prices going up this year round.
The left Front on Monday took out a massive rally in Kolkata to protest against price rise.
According to the Congress leaders, the middle-men and hoarders were making up for the election funds they provided to the ruling party in the recently concluded panchayat elections. “These people are also collecting money for the next year’s general elections,” a PCC leader and an MlA from West Midnapore said.
However, the Industries Minister said the Government had taken precautionary measures and prices would soon come down adding the rising fuel costs had also contributed to price rise.