Assam: Customers Hit-Hard with Soaring Prices of Vegetables

On the one hand, people are hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic while on the other, the soaring prices of vegetables have put the people of Assam in dilemma leaving them to think over it while buying.

Prices of almost all vegetables went substantially by anywhere between Rs. 60-80-100 per kilo. The prices have touched sky-rocket as the retailers charged according to their wish although they bought at a minimum price from the farmers.

Although the state government has fixed the rate of vegetables during the lockdown period but the retailers charged as per their wishes hitting the customers. The Food and Civil Supplies department is silent on the matter for which the vendors are taking advantage of the situation and pushed the people in an impasse.

If the vendors bought ladies-finger in Rs. 25-30, they sale at Rs. 60-80 in retail, bottle-gourd which priced at Rs. 30 the vendors sale at Rs. 50-60, cucumber which the vendors bought at Rs. 15-20, they charge Rs. 50-60 in retail.

The retailers are selling vegetables at double price but the government is silent on the issue. Having no control of the government in the market, the vendors took advantage of it and charged double the price in vegetables which hit the people.

People expressed anger over the government in Sipajhar, Golaghat, and other parts of the state as they have become exhausted with the soaring price of the vegetables.