In order to rein in surging tomato prices in the national capital, Delhi Food and Civil Supplies Minister Imran Hussain on Wednesday ordered a crackdown against hoarders. The minister directed officials of his department to gather information about instances of hoarding and black marketing of tomatoes, and initiate necessary action under the Essential Commodity Act, if needed.
The minister chaired a meeting to review the sudden and undue increase in the retail tomato prices in the markets. It was attended by the commissioner of Food and Civil Supplies and the joint commissioner and senior officers of the intelligence team of the department among others. During the meeting, Hussain issued directions to carry out intense inspections of wholesale markets, including the Azadpur Mandi, Okhla Mandi, Ghazipur Mandi and the Keshopur Mandi, and retail markets across Delhi.
"The Delhi government is keeping a close watch on the price trends of essential commodities and that wherever considered necessary, the government will undertake market intervention for stabilisation of prices of essential commodities in Delhi," said a statement quoting the minister. Tomato is currently selling ta Rs 44.25 per kilogram, up from Rs 33.5 last month, Adil Ahmad Khan, chairman of the agricultural produce marketing committee of the Azadpur Mandi told PTI on Tuesday. The increase in prices is more glaring in the retail and online markets where customers are being charged anything between Rs 90 and Rs 108 for a kilogram of tomatoes.
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