DJ Venkatesh & Sarthak Kanjilal
Port Blair, July 25: The Directorate of Civil Supplies plays an important role in Prevention of Black marketing in supplies of essential commodities. One of the main roles played by the department is monitoring the market prices. Let it be pulses, cereals, oils, etc., the department issue a press release every month to put in the knowledge of the general public the retail selling prices (RSP) of essential commodities prevailing in the market, so that they are not cheated by greedy people.
But to the dismay of Islanders, in North and Middle Andaman this rate chart brings no solace for Islanders. In port Blair the prices are more or less are controlled by the Department but in remote Islands the controlling authorities virtually has no control over the soaring prices of commodities.
Prices of commodities like Onion, Potato and Tomato are controlled by a private businessmen sitting at Port Blair.
According to the release issued by the Department of Civil Supplies and Consumers Affairs on 5th June 2012 the maximum retain price of Onion was Rs. 18 /- Potato Rs. 22/- Tomato Rs. 32/- and on 9 July release the rate mentioned for Onion was Rs. 20/- potato Rs. 22/- and Tomato Rs. 36/- but in Diglipur, the private businessman sold Onion at Rs. 18.50/- Potato Rs. 20/- and Tomato Rs. 50/- in whole sale market.
As rates are high in whole sale market, the vegetable venders are now selling Onion in Rs. 30/- Potato Rs. 30/- Tomato as Rs. 70/- with almost keeping a 50% of margin.
On asking vegetable venders about the difference in rates they said that as a bag of onion in whole sale market should weight 50kg, Potato 50 kg Tomato 20 Kg but they are not allowed to check the weight of those bags while purchasing as the whole sale dealer never allows them to check the weight of the bag and it is always 4 to 5 kg lesser than it should be.
“If anybody complaints about this they are deprived of the items as the supply is always less than the demand, we are buying it without complaining and that’s why to earn profit we are supposed to charge extra,” A vegetable vendor told Andaman Sheekha in case of anonymity.
When contacted the newly Posted Secretary cum Director of Civil Supplies Department, Mr. S. N. Mishra told Andaman Sheekha that its just his seventh day in the department. “I am just trying to understand the situation now and that’s why I don’t want to comment now,” he added.
Meanwhile the private businessman who sells Onions, Potatoes and Tomatoes in North and Middle Andaman was in Mainland and was unavailable for comment. Even his mangers were in accessible.
Under these circumstances one can very well understand how helpless a common man will feel if he plans to question authorities against the unjustified rates of commodities.
Why the Department of CS and CA is more or less defunct in remote Islands and why general public are forces to pay though their nose for everything? Is anyone listening?
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