Thaindian News

Kolkata, Aug 29 (IANS) The West Bengal administration has been instructed to monitor vegetable trade to guard against the prices being controlled by a few in the market, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Monday.

Banerjee was speaking after a meeting with district magistrates, superintendents of police and the Kolkata Police commissioner at the state secretariat.

“In some retail markets, one item is being sold at Rs.30 and in other markets it is for Rs.60,” Banerjee said. “We will see to it that some people do not control the total market and cheat both consumers and farmers.”

Many traders are selling fertilizers at higher prices and the government has already cancelled licences of 75 such traders, Banerjee said. She added that a subsidy of Rs.35 crore will be given on fertilizers to ensure that farmers get these at fair prices.

District magistrates and superintendents of police have been duly instructed to monitor intentional or arbitrary increases by a few traders, forcing the rest of the vegetable market to follow suit.

The chief minister said that increases in the prices of brinjals, tomatoes and ladies fingers were understandable in view of the heavy rains, but other increases were not.

“We are trying to find out the reasons,” she added.

Banerjee maintained that her government has already taken measures to ensure that rice producers got remunerative prices. “We want farmers to sell their paddy themselves,” she said.