Eat tomato only if you can afford, or wait until fresh season appears,” is the new enlightened mantra of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department in State which is mandated to keep the market protected from over-pricing of food and vegetable items and stop traders of over-pricing, if any.
After brainstorming session with Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FJCCI) on Monday to curb rising prices of tomato and other green vegetables, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department officials reached a solution, which even the most illiterate street vendor knows equally: sell anything only above cost price.
“If a trader buys tomato at Rs 70 per kg, he can’t sell it anything less than at least 10 per cent added profit over it which takes its retail price at Rs 77 per kg and we can’t ask them to sell below that. Traders have said that they have been buying tomato at high cost from other States as it is not veggie season here in State. So, we can’t stop them to sell at high price. Eat tomato or any vegetable only if you can afford, or wait until season comes,” said Department Secretary Vinay Kumar Choubey.
This is how in place of pushing the Chamber to help formulate immediate plan to curb hike in veggie prices, the Department enjoyed Chamber singing long-term plans like formation of fund for veggie producers, and strengthening agriculture insurance.
Apparently convinced with what the largest trade body wanted the Department to understand, Choubey said after meeting that there was nothing wrong in tomato being sold at whatever price it was being sold, as traders entertained right to have at least some profit over the cost price.
The initiative taken by the Department Minister Saryu Roy couple of days ago ended, thus, with no immediate action plan to bring veggie prices under affordability of common men. Notably, Roy had also said couple of days ago that the Department wouldn’t hesitate is conducting raids against over-profiteers, if necessary, after meeting with Chamber on Monday. Unfortunately, the meeting proved to be an eye-wash.
FJCCI President Vinay Agrawal said after meeting that tomato available in market these days had been imported the Chamber had already expressed its view on the matter saying that it had nothing substantial to act in particular direction to curb veggie price rise.