‘If they can sell onions for Rs 25 per kg, why does it cost Rs 80 in the market’
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: In view of the inflation in the prices of onions, the district administration of the Kamrup (M) district of the state has announced that sales counters have been set up across Guwahati under the supervision of officials from the Food, Public Distribution, and Consumer Affairs Branch. After this announcement, a large number of people lined up at these sales points on Thursday.
The officials allowed the sale of a maximum of only two kilos of onions per person from these counters at a cost of Rs 25 per kilo, which is considerably lower than the current market price of onions, which is around Rs 80 to Rs 90. Meanwhile, the public has questioned how the local administration can sell onions for Rs 25 when the market price is Rs 80, hinting at improper manipulation of the prices of essential commodities.
While some citizens thanked the district administration for taking this step to bring relief to the citizens, others demanded the setting up of additional points of onion sales in other localities of the city. Some of the citizens also demanded that larger quantities of the currently-costly vegetable be sold to the people at subsidised prices. But everyone spoke against the rise in prices of onions and other essential food items and demanded that the government take immediate action to control the same.
The officials had mentioned that the arrangements for the sale of onions will be made either by using mobile installations aboard vehicles or by vendors in a particular location. These people will be selling onions at the prices fixed by the government. And will be available from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the morning and from 4 p.m. onwards in the afternoon on every alternative day, as mentioned in the notice issued. The following are the locations of the points of sale of onions at government-fixed prices. Six Mile near IDBI Bank, Basistha Bazar, Beltola Bazar, Ganeshguri (between the petrol pump and flyover), Dispur Last Gate near the GMC Office or Field, Ulubari Bazar, Uzan Bazar, Chandmari Bazar, Pandu Bazar, Maligaon Bazar near the Police Station, Noonmati Bazar, and Hengrabari near the Public Health Engineering department office.
A list of the names of officials has also been issued by the authorities to ensure the proper conduct of these points of sale of onions. It mentioned that Ananda Kishor Kanu, Inspector of Food, will look into the sale at Six Mile, Basistha, Beltola, Ganeshguri, and Dispur Last Gate. Paresh Kumar Saharia, Inspector of the Food, will look after Uzan Bazar and Ulubari sale points, while Long Kumar Engti, Inspector of the Food, will look into Chandmari. Priyanka Medhi, Sub-Inspector of Food, will look into Pandu Bazar and Maligaon. Minu Das, Inspector of the Food, Public Distribution, and Consumer Affairs Branch, will look after Noonmati, while Surajit Chakrabarty, Inspector of the Food, will ensure proper working at Hengrabari.
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