GUWAHATI: Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday held a meeting with representatives of trade organisations in Guwahati to discuss the sudden price rise of essential commodities and directed officials concerned and police to conduct a drive at various markets.
“Price rise affects all. So, it is my earnest appeal to everyone to work as Team Assam and find a way to resolve this issue at the earliest. The increasing prices of potato, onion, vegetables, eggs and cooking oil have impacted the common people adversely and caused strong resentment among them.The government cannot remain inactive in this situation as the people must be given respite from this scourge of price rise,” Sonowal said in a statement.
Sonowal referred to the disparity in prices of items like potato, onion and vegetables in wholesale and retail markets and warned those engaged in abnormal price hike of essentials of strict action.He said integrated dedicated teams would be set up by the administration in the state to monitor the markets and keep a tab on the price rise of essential items.
The members of traders’ bodies informed Sonowal that some items like potato, onion have seen price hike at their source and claimed that from Thursday onwards, wholesale prices would come down slightly.
About 250 CPM workers on Wednesday staged a two-hour demonstration in the city to protest against price hike of essential commodities. CPM leader Suprakash Talukdar said, “The BJP governments — both at the Centre and the state — were voted to power by workers, employees, peasants and other economically weaker sections of society. But they have failed the majority of people.”
Aasu will stage a statewide agitation on Saturday against the price hike of essential commodities. “The government has failed to bring down the price of onions, potatoes and other essential commodities. They have surrendered before the middlemen who are managing the price of essentials for their convenience,” Aasu president Dipanka Kumar Nath said in a statement.
On Tuesday, Aasu and KMSS activists had hit the streets against the price hike.