Guwahati lockdown news: Now, control rooms to keep check on prices of essentials

By Rokibuz Zaman
GUWAHATI: To prevent sellers from taking undue advantage of Guwahatians, the Assam government has set up control rooms to monitor the prices of essential commodities. This comes after the city had witnessed panic buying just before the lockdown was enforced and prices of vegetables and other commodities had shot up.
Officials said prices of 28 vegetables, including potatoes and onions, have been fixed. Onions and potatoes will be sold from over 200 fair price shops and "Amar Dokan" in the Kamrup (Metro) district. They added that officials of the food and civil supplies department will be on the ground to take stock of the situation and that the government is alert and ready to take stern steps against any price hike.
Assam food and civil supplies minister Phani Bhusan Choudhury, while taking stock of the situation at the Fancy Bazaar wholesale market, told TOI, "The supply department officials are on the ground to monitor the prices. Prices of onions and potatoes have been fixed in the city. Action will be taken against those who sell vegetables and other essential commodities at higher rates."
He added, "We have a control rooms set up in deputy commissioner's and director's offices. We have asked people to call on our helpline numbers if anybody notices selling the commodities at higher price."
The lockdown in the city has been relaxed as all standalone grocery shops have been allowed to operate between 11 am and 4 pm from Monday to Friday.
Assam chief secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna said maintenance of price line and prevention of artificial shortage will be the responsibility of shopkeepers and the food, civil supplies and consumer affairs department.
Pramod Shyam, deputy director of food and civil supply department Kamrup Metropolitan District, said 217 few fair price shops and "Amar Dokan" have been given permission to operate. He added, "As the grocery shops will remain open for five days, there should not be any panic buying."
He informed that one family will be provided a maximum of 5 kg potatoes at a time depending upon the number of the family members.
Kamrup Chamber of Commerce (KCC) Mahavir Jain said, "The wholesale prices of potatoes, at Rs 24 per kg, and onion, at Rs 23 per kg, have been fixed. I appeal to the retailers to not sell these for above Rs 30 per kg. There is also sufficient stock in the city and the state."
However, an official in the Kamrup (Metro) district administration said the department does not have enough staff to keep a check on the prices everywhere. "It is easy to blame the supplies department but how can we monitor such a huge population and so many markets with only 14 inspectors and sub-inspectors?" the official asked. He added that one inspector has to look after markets in eight or nine municipal wards and hence, the middlemen will surely take advantage of this.