SILCHAR, Aug 27 - Against the backdrop of frequent complaints of hike in the prices of essential commodities ahead of the nine-day lockdown from August 27, the Cachar district administration has urged the foodgrain merchants, vegetable and fruit wholesalers to keep prices under a tight leash.
Deputy Commissioner Keerthi Jalli, in the presence of Silchar MLA Dilip Kumar Paul, held a meeting with members of the merchants association and asked them to keep a close vigil on the intent of opportunists to inflate prices and black marketing of essential commodities during the lockdown period and thereafter.
�Maintain the prices of essential items, fruits and vegetables at reasonable rates and also ensure that prices are not hiked under any circumstances. Also encourage other vendors to realise the situation we all are into. Appropriate action will be initiated against unscrupulous businessmen and traders indulging in malpractices,� the Deputy Commissioner told the representatives of market associations.
Jalli also took stock of availability of food grains, including sugar, mustard oil, wheat, salt, wheat, flour, potatoes, onions and essential items, and directed every wholesaler and retailer not to sell any product above the capped rate. She directed the agriculture, fisheries and food and civil supplies officials to visit the markets and take action to keep under tight control prices of fish, fruits and vegetables and essential items.
Paul also urged the market associations to keep a tab on the prices of essentials, fruits and vegetables and to prevent escalation at all costs.
Responding to the appeal from the administration, the merchant associations assured that there would not be any hike in the prices of essential commodities in the next 15 days.
