NALBARI, March 24 - Panic buying by a section of citizens in the backdrop of the eight-day lockdown declared by the State government from 6 pm today has led to artificial scarcity of essential commodities and obviously hit the people of Nalbari district.
Just after the State government formally announced the lockdown, local people came out of their homes in hordes and flocked to the nearby grocery stores and purchased items of day-to-day requirement since last evening.
This morning, the people of Nalbari town and its nearby areas were seen purchasing vegetables at high prices. Even potatoes which were selling at Rs 20 per kg till the other day, were bought at Rs 40 per kg today. Similarly, onion was selling at Rs 50 per kg. Several other seasonal vegetables too were selling at double the price than is the normal market price.
Always on the lookout for predatory tactics, a section of unscrupulous traders have tried their level best to cash in on the situation. The district administration has not taken any step so far to keep the prices of essential commodities from spiralling out of control, the citizens alleged.
