STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: As and when there is disaster in Assam, the prices of essential commodities go up, leading to outcries. The public outcry leads the government to hold a meeting where it asks the Food and Civil Supplies Minister to take up the matter. The Minister, on his part, visits a few markets, conducts raid in a few godowns and warns the businessmen not to hoard any commodities. And that is the end for that season or government's initiatives. This is what the people of the State have been observing for years.
The moot question: Why is this stereotype happening on the price front during any disaster in the State? This is because there's no regular mechanism to monitor rise in prices of essential commodities in the State.
A reality check will suffice as to how the market behaved in Assam before the lockdown and during the lockdown. The Barpeta Aizong rice that was sold at Rs 30 per kg before the lockdown is now being sold at Rs 35 per kg, masur dal (small) at Rs 100 per kg against Rs 80 earlier, arahar dal at Rs 100 per kg against Rs 80 earlier, Dhara mustard oil at Rs 120 per litre against Rs 105 earlier, broiler chicken at Rs 200 per kg against Rs 140 per kg earlier. Likewise, potato and onion that were sold at Rs 15-20 per kg earlier is now being sold at Rs 25-30 per kg.
From time to time, the government fixes the prices of potato and onion in the State. A peculiar behaviour in the market is that as and when the government fixes these prices, a section of businessmen glut the market with poor quality produce of the two commodities. An official of the Food and Civil Supplies said, "When we adopt stricter rules to check the businessmen, they silently lessen their import of commodities from other States and create a scarcity. Ultimately, we need to depend on them as most of the essential commodities come from other States. It's not that we don't take any action."
The issue of price rise came up for discussion in the last meeting of the Council of Ministers. Food and Civil Supplies Minister Phani Bhushan Choudhury was asked by the Chief Minister to take necessary action to prevent unscrupulous elements from taking the advantage of the situation in the State to hike prices.
Trying to justify the rise in prices of a few commodities, a businessman of Fancy Bazar said, "Because of the lockdown the truckers have increased the carrying charge, and that might have led to the rise in prices of a few commodities. Apart from this, there is shortage of some of the commodities at their sources."
On the other hand, three days back State Industries and Transport Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary went on record as saying that more than 600 goods trains came to Assam during the lockdown. If this statement has anything to go by, where is the reason for shortage of commodities in the State?
The people of the State are in double trouble now. Affected by the lockdown most of them are cashless. And to cap it all, the prices of all commodities have gone up. Against this backdrop, it is important that the State government puts in place a permanent mechanism to monitor the rise in prices of essential commodities.