Pune: Foodgrain, pulses & edible oil prices shoot through the roof

Sandip Dighe | TNN | Updated: Apr 13, 2020, 06:55 IST

Ground reality

PUNE: Retail prices of most grocery items, such as pulses, foodgrain and edible oil, have gone up considerably in the city with the nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19 entering the 19th day on Sunday.
Though most residents rued the heavy price they had to pay while stocking up the week’s ration, retailers attributed the rise in the grocery items’ prices to the increase in procurement prices from the wholesale traders and also transportation cost.

For instance, tur daal, which was being sold for Rs90-100 a kg last week, now costs Rs130-140 per kg. Similarly, sugar price has gone up to Rs40-45 per kg as against Rs34-36 per kg last week.
Sachin Nivangune, president of the Pune district retail merchants’ association, said, “Most shopkeepers told us that they had to increase the rates because they were purchasing all items at high prices in the wholesale market. Besides, transportation charges have increased almost three times. A tempo that used to charge around Rs400 now takes around Rs1,200 for the same trip.”
He added, “Many shopkeepers visited the market themselves, but didn’t get any porter. They had to upload and unload their material. Considering all these things, the prices of most grocery items have gone up.”
Nivangune admitted that a section of retailers was taking advantage of the situation. “We have received complaints about some retailers selling grocery items at steep rates. We have taken action against them with the help of police. The association, which has 15,000 member retailers across the city and the district, has urged all of them through video calls and WhatsApp messages to not resort to profiteering,” he said.
The residents said there was no control over prices of many essential items. “Whenever we question the retailers about the high prices, they either blame the situation at the wholesale markets or say there’s no adequate supply. Nobody has much knowledge about the market behaviour, it seems. The authorities need to take necessary steps to check the price rise,” said Seema Kale, a resident of Nana Peth.
Shanivar Peth resident Sanjay Sudame said, “The prices of foodgrain and pulses have suddenly escalated. From Rs50 a kg a few days ago, wheat is now sold for Rs75-Rs80 for a kg. One has to shell out Rs60 for a kg of rice, which was sold for Rs40 a kg even a few days ago. The prices of a 15-litre can of edible oil have gone up Rs250 to Rs300.”
The retailers are attributing this situation to the demand-supply mismatch and price escalation in the wholesale market.
“There is no adequate supply of edible oil and grocery items in the wholesale market. Besides, we have been facing a lot of difficulties in running our shops. Maintaining logistics and supply is also a challenge. We had to move around the city only to buy a litre of fuel. The retailers cannot sell material at low cost under such circumstances,” said Prashant Mahesh Wari, a retailer from the peth area.
Pune Municipal Corporation commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad told TOI that the civic administration has also received complaints about price escalation. “It is bound to happen, as we have closed the wholesale markets. Now, there’s a demand-supply mismatch. We have to find a middle path and continue the grocery market at Market Yard. If people don’t get essential commodities, it will be difficult to manage the situation,” he said.
Popatlal Oswal, president of the Poona Merchants Chambers Association, said its members would not open their shops from Monday.
“We have called a meeting to discuss the issue again on Monday. The district administration and the Pune police have vowed that our employees would not face any issue. But there are issues like getting supply from neighbouring states and the safety of drivers and porters,” he said.