July 29, 2014
WB Govt to open more fair price vegetable shops
To control the rising prices of potato inthe State, the West Bengal government has decided to continue a ban on exportof potatoes until normal situation was restored. West Bengal Chief Minister MsMamata Banerjee held a high level meeting at Nabanna with the Task Force toprevent price rise of daily necessities.
The Chief Minister asked the EnforcementBranch (EB) to take necessary measures. It has been asked to intensify vigil inthe markets in Kolkata and the adjoining areas so as to ensure that potatoesare not sold at higher prices and that traders are not hoarding the vegetable.
Fair price shops in 19 KMC markets run byKolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and government vendors are selling potatoesat Rs 14 per kg. It had earlier come to the administration`s notice that someshops had been closed down. Thus, Chief Minister today stressed upon openingmore fair price shops as well as monitoring the existing ones.
At present, the state has a stock of 32lakh metric tons of potato and the stock will last for the next six months ifthe state government manages to stop selling potatoes to other states.
“The state should give priority to its owndemand and contain the rising prices of potato before transporting them toother states or countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Pakistan,” State AgricultureMinister Mr Purnendu Bose said after a meeting of the Task Force on price rise.The ban on sale of potato outside the state was imposed early last month.
The government also decided that the State mustbecome self-sufficient in the production of onions and fish. The next meetingof the Task Force will be held on August 11, 2014, to review the situation.
