Steps being taken to control rising sugar, essential commodity prices: Bengal CM

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday said his government was taking steps to control the rising prices of essential commodities, particularly sugar, which has become significantly more expensive over the past month.

Speaking at a Consumer Protection Week programme at the historic Hogg Market in central Kolkata, Adhikari said the price of sugar had shown a marginal decline following steps taken by the state government.

Retail sugar prices in West Bengal, as in several other parts of the country, have risen by more than 30 per cent in the past month.

The state's Enforcement Branch has been visiting markets in Kolkata and other cities to monitor the prices of essential commodities and check for unfair trade practices.

"The retail price of sugar and vegetables has seen a rise," Adhikari said, adding that the government was taking action on issues affecting consumers.

The chief minister also said the state was acting against food adulteration and the use of non-food-grade colours in food items and sweets. He urged traders and businesses to follow transparent practices.

Adhikari alleged that some officials may have been allowing unfair practices to continue and criticised previous governments over what he described as systemic problems.

"The whole system has become rotten," he said.

Calling consumer affairs one of the state's neglected departments, Adhikari said he did not recall a chief minister attending such programmes organised by the department in the past.

He alleged that corrupt practices had become entrenched at different levels, resulting in consumers and sellers being cheated.

"The way corrupt practices at every level were given an institutional framework in the state, both buyers and sellers were getting cheated," he said.

Adhikari said complaints were not limited to the purchase of everyday items such as fish and vegetables, but also extended to larger transactions, including residential property.

"I have been getting numerous complaints in my Janata Darbar about people getting duped while buying residential flats," he said.

The chief minister also referred to a recent case in Salt Lake in which around 120 people were arrested for allegedly cheating people by posing as representatives of well-known brands and collecting money for food deliveries.

He said the Consumer Affairs Department had an important role in protecting buyers and ensuring that businesses followed the rules.

"The Consumer Affairs Department has a huge responsibility to secure the interests of buyers," Adhikari said.