Prices of green chilli and pointed gourd (parval) in Kolkata have experienced a significant dip following raids by a special task force. The raids were conducted by four separate teams in various markets across the city. As a result, the price of green chilli dropped from Rs 350/kg to Rs 100/kg, while pointed gourd fell from Rs 70/kg to Rs 40/kg.
The task force, consisting of officials from the enforcement branch and local police, targeted markets in Salt Lake, Rajpur, Sonarpur, Howrah, and Barrackpore areas. Their mission was to regulate vegetable prices and crack down on hoarding and exorbitant pricing. The teams collected data on prices from different sellers and inspected the amount the vegetables were bought for at the wholesale market.
Rabindranath Koley, a senior member of the task force, stated that the raids had an immediate impact on prices. He mentioned that the team was warning vendors against hoarding or selling vegetables at inflated rates and that appropriate punishment would be given to offenders. The team has been sending daily reports to Nabanna, the administrative headquarters of the West Bengal government, with the expectation that vegetable prices will normalize within two weeks.
The raids extended to markets in South 24 Parganas, Howrah, and Barrackpore. On Tuesday, the team plans to visit Koley market in Sealdah, the largest wholesale market in Kolkata. In order to encourage consumers to buy vegetables at affordable prices, the state government has increased the number of Sufal Bangla stalls. These stores sell vegetables at cheaper rates, with prices for tomatoes at Rs 89/kg, brinjals at Rs 70/kg, okra at Rs 45/kg, bitter gourd at Rs 65/kg, and pointed gourd at Rs 23/kg. However, to maintain availability, the government has limited the purchase of each vegetable to a maximum of 500g.
While Sufal Bangla stalls have experienced increased footfall, other sellers have seen a decline in sales. Vendors who are not part of the Sufal Bangla franchise expressed their concerns, stating that the government is not considering their losses. They claim that the subsidy provided is insufficient to cover the cost of selling vegetables at lower prices than they bought them for.
The article highlights the efforts of the task force to regulate vegetable prices in Kolkata through raids on markets. It also discusses the impact of these raids on the prices of green chilli and pointed gourd. The government’s push for consumers to buy from Sufal Bangla stalls is mentioned, along with the concerns of other vendors who are not part of the franchise. The article aims to provide a balanced view of the situation and inform readers about the current state of vegetable prices in Kolkata.
