Odisha Minister Warns ‘Unscrupulous’ Traders Over Surge In Vegetable Prices Ahead Of Cyclone ‘Dana’ Landfall

Bhubaneswar: As prices of potato, onion and other vegetables skyrocketed amid panic buying triggered by fear of cyclone in Odisha, the state government on Wednesday warned that action is being initiated against unscrupulous traders.

Asserting that hoarding and black-marketing of essential commodities will not be tolerated, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra told reporters that action has already been initiated against some traders for resorting to unethical practices.

Amid complaints of hoarding and black-marketing of essential items the Minister reportedly had a face-off with traders’ associations on the issue. A meeting held by him with representatives of traders’ bodies in Bhubaneswar was marked by trading of charges.

While representatives of retail and wholesale trade associations refuted allegations of hoarding and claimed that the price rise was due to panic buying, the Minister warned that the intelligence wing of the department is keeping a close watch on the market and unscrupulous trade practices will not be tolerated.

A member of the Odisha Byabasayee Mahasangha said the traders were being unnecessarily blamed for the situation. He alleged that a Central government agency like National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED) is making profit by selling onions when its mandate is to stabilise prices through market intervention. “NAFED is buying onions at Rs 35 a kg and selling at Rs 45 but the state government has remained silent,” he said.

The Mahasangha representative further said that the government did nothing when the state faced acute crisis of potatoes due to non-cooperation of West Bengal. The traders took all the pain to tackle the crisis situation when repeated requests of the Odisha government went unheeded by the neighbouring state, he said.

Sources said panic buying continued in the markets in Bhubaneswar and other places in the coastal region leading to an unprecedented surge in prices of all vegetables. In Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, tomatoe was sold at Rs 80 to Rs 100 per kg while prices of other vegetables such as beans, brinjal, ladyfinger and cauliflower went up by Rs 10 to Rs 20 per kilogram.

There was a great rush in the vegetable markets for the second day as consumers sought to stock up on essential items like chuda (flattened rice) ahead of the landfall of cyclone ‘Dana.’