Mamata Banerjee cautions against price rise during festival time

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday cautioned against price rise during the festive season, while directing her officials to maintain a strict vigil over the prices of vegetables, fish and essential commodities and initiate steps to prevent hoarding of items.

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday cautioned against price rise during the festive season, while directing her officials to maintain a strict vigil over the prices of vegetables, fish and essential commodities and initiate steps to prevent hoarding of items.

Briefing the outcome of a meeting of the Task Force on Price Rise issue chaired by the CM, state Agriculture Minister Purnendu Bose said Banerjee has asked officials and different agencies including the Police and Enforcement Branch to keep a tab against hoarding of essential items, vegetables and fish.

The Chief Minister has said there should not be abnormal rise in prices of any such items that could put common people under pressure and has asked the traders to cooperate with the government and not burden the people, Bose said.

Meanwhile, the state government today further relaxed the quantum of potato transported to neighbouring Odisha, Jharkhand and Assam.

"Now potato traders have been allowed to export 1,600 tonnes of potato per day to Odisha and Jharkhand, up from 1,100 tonnes earlier," the Minister said.

After potato traders withdrew their strike on September 11, the state government had allowed export of 1,100 tonnes of potato per day to Odisha and Jharkhand through two checkposts at Danton and Chirkunda.

The government also allowed the traders to export some potato to Assam through two checkposts in North Bengal.

In return, the traders supplied the state government 200 tonnes of potato at the rate of Rs 1,300 per quintal for selling through fair price shops at the rate of Rs 15 per kg.

"Now the traders will also increase this quantum of supply to the state government proportionate to the quantum enhanced for export," Bose said.

Several ministers, secretaries and senior officials involved with the task force, besides representatives of traders, were present in the meeting.  

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