GUWAHATI, Aug 20 - With vegetables prices spiraling out of control, the Assam State Agricultural Marketing Board (ASAMB) has decided to set up mobile vans to supply vegetables at subsidized rates. The initiative will be launched from Monday.
Official sources said the board will purchase the vegetables through its registered grower societies spread across the districts of Barpeta, Nagaon, Morigaon, Darrang etc. �We will just add the transportation cost, which should come to around Rs 1-2 per kg. The consumer will not have to bear any additional cost,� the official said.
The growers, too, will be given better rates for their products.
Initially, the mobile vans will be placed in busy areas like Beltola, Ganeshguri, Chandmari, Maligaon, etc. The board will conduct a market survey and based on that more vans would be added in other places depending on the demand.
The board also has eight �Krishak Dukans� in the city, but only four are functional as present.
Vegetable prices have more than doubled in the last two weeks. Much of it has been blamed on the floods. But there are also allegations that unscrupulous traders were trying to take advantage of the situation and hiking the prices. The Food & Civil Supplies Department is responsible for monitoring the prices of commodities.
