HT Bureau
DIPHU, Aug 2: A meeting was held to address the rising prices of vegetables such as potatoes and onions in Diphu markets on Friday, according to an official statement from the District Information and Public Relations (DIPR) office.
The meeting was attended by Bili Mohon Khaklary, executive member (EM), KAAC, in charge of the Food and Civil Supply Department; Mukul Kr Saikia, principal secretary of KAAC; along with secretaries, joint secretaries, deputy secretaries, and officers from the Food and Civil Supplies, Taxation, and Legal Metrology departments from Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong districts.
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Principal Secretary Saikia addressed allegations that taxes imposed were causing the exorbitant rise in potato and onion prices in the Diphu market.
“The KAAC authority has not imposed any new tax at the entry gate of Karbi Anglong district. The tax on potatoes and onions has been 5 paisa per kilogram since 1954 and does not contribute to the rise in the price of these essential commodities,” He clarified.
A comparative price list was presented by the Food and Civil Supply Officer, showing that the wholesale price of potatoes in Diphu market is Rs 35 per kilogram, with a retail price of Rs 40. The wholesale price of onions is Rs 40 per kilogram, with a retail price of Rs 48 per kilogram. These prices are significantly higher compared to those in Bokajan, Bakalia, Silonijan, and adjacent districts. Diphu wholesalers attributed the price increase to the closure of gates in West Bengal and the Srirampur gate in Assam, which has hindered the supply of these commodities.
Wholesalers from Bokajan, Bakalia, Howraghat, Silonijan, and Dokmoka, who source these commodities from Uttar Pradesh and Agra, reported selling them at lower prices compared to Diphu Bazaar.
In response, the principal secretary directed the Diphu Bazar Committee to manage market prices effectively.
Members of the Bazar Committees from Diphu, Bokajan, and Howraghat towns, as well as wholesalers from Diphu, Bokajan, Bakalia, Howraghat, and Silonijan, attended the meeting.
