Vegetable Prices Soars in Sikkim & SiliguriGangtok:Household budgets have had to be redrawn in Gangtok and the surrounding areas of Siliguri after an unusual rise in prices of vegetables and other edibles over the past week.
Consumers say the prices have increased by 15 to 100 per cent.
“You can hardly touch tomatoes — they have gone from Rs 20 per kg to Rs 40 per kg in a fortnight,” said Sunita Pradhan, a resident of the Sichey Bustry.
She added that prices of potatoes (Rs 18 compared to Rs 12-14 earlier) and onions (Rs 22-24 compared to Rs 16) have also increased. “Mustard oil is selling at Rs 62-Rs64 per kg, when we used to buy it at Rs 57 per kg,” said Ms.Pradhan.
Enquiries made by TheReporter at the Lal Market and Tadong Market confirmed the price hike.
The president of the Lal Market Fruits and Vegetables Vendors Association, said supply has gone down because of bad weather, which in turn, has affected prices. “Vegetables come to Gangtok fromSiliguri and ToSiliguri from south Bengal districts like Burdwan, Nadia and Hooghly along with some districts of north Bengal. But for the past one week, supply has been irregular because of the rain and flood-like situation in certain parts of the WestBengal,” he said.
Those dealing in foodgrain and edible oils blamed it on increased transport costs and high prices at source. Om Prakash Agarwal, the secretary of Siliguri Merchants’ Association, said these items are mostly brought from outside the state.
Members of the Darjeeling district Congress, led by its president Shankar Malakar, submitted a memorandum to Siliguri subdivisional officer P.T. Sherpa, on Monday asking him to rein in the prices. Sherpa met representatives of trade bodies and officials of agriculture department the next day. “The traders have promised to lower prices within two weeks,” he said.
The traders are not so confident though. “It all depends on how soon the supply is regularised,” said Saha.
Agarwal, on his part, said nothing can be done until prices of foodgrain and edible oils come down across the country.
Consumers say the prices have increased by 15 to 100 per cent.
“You can hardly touch tomatoes — they have gone from Rs 20 per kg to Rs 40 per kg in a fortnight,” said Sunita Pradhan, a resident of the Sichey Bustry.
She added that prices of potatoes (Rs 18 compared to Rs 12-14 earlier) and onions (Rs 22-24 compared to Rs 16) have also increased. “Mustard oil is selling at Rs 62-Rs64 per kg, when we used to buy it at Rs 57 per kg,” said Ms.Pradhan.
Enquiries made by TheReporter at the Lal Market and Tadong Market confirmed the price hike.
The president of the Lal Market Fruits and Vegetables Vendors Association, said supply has gone down because of bad weather, which in turn, has affected prices. “Vegetables come to Gangtok fromSiliguri and ToSiliguri from south Bengal districts like Burdwan, Nadia and Hooghly along with some districts of north Bengal. But for the past one week, supply has been irregular because of the rain and flood-like situation in certain parts of the WestBengal,” he said.Those dealing in foodgrain and edible oils blamed it on increased transport costs and high prices at source. Om Prakash Agarwal, the secretary of Siliguri Merchants’ Association, said these items are mostly brought from outside the state.
Members of the Darjeeling district Congress, led by its president Shankar Malakar, submitted a memorandum to Siliguri subdivisional officer P.T. Sherpa, on Monday asking him to rein in the prices. Sherpa met representatives of trade bodies and officials of agriculture department the next day. “The traders have promised to lower prices within two weeks,” he said.
The traders are not so confident though. “It all depends on how soon the supply is regularised,” said Saha.
Agarwal, on his part, said nothing can be done until prices of foodgrain and edible oils come down across the country.
