KMSS vegetable shops draw huge crowd in Guwahati

In a bid to rid of middlemen, the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) today opened two ‘fair price’ stalls for vegetables at Chandmari and RG Baruah Road Tiniali after procuring the produce in bulk from farmers in Barpeta Road where they had been deprived of their due remuneration due to large-scale presence of middlemen and illegal syndicates in the trade.

Both the stalls run by the KMSS drew overwhelming response from the citizens who made a beeline to the stalls to get vegetables at half the price sold in the city markets.

“The response has been so great that we exhausted our supply meant for the proposed six stalls in the first two stalls itself. We are committed to sell vegetables at half the market price here, and will open eight more stalls in the city,” KMSS publicity secretary Kamal Kumar Medhi said.

Trade body lambasts Govt over price rise

The Assam Chamber of Commerce (ACC) on Sunday held the Government responsible for the unprecedented prices of all essential items, including foodgrains in Assam and alleged that the Government’s lack of willingness to end the syndicate system was one of the major factors behind the soaring prices.

Addressing media persons here, chairman of ACC, Rupam Goswami said that price rise of the essential commodities has hit the common man hard.

“Though price rise is a national phenomena but in our State the increase is on the higher side,” said Goswami, pointing out that the syndicate system being operated by certain unscrupulous and greedy individuals/groups has contributed to the woes of the consumers. Goswami said that the syndicate system which is a bane of the society creating monopoly in trade should be ended immediately.

“The government has knowledge about those running the syndicate system. We have repeatedly requested the State Government to disband the syndicates, but nothing tangible has been done. We demand of the Government to act, otherwise ACC with the help of the general public will put an end to this trade malpractice,” warned Goswami.

North East fumes at LPG hike

The Centre's decision to hike the price of non-subsidized cooking gas (LPG) by Rs 26.50 on Thursday evoked sharp reaction from consumer forums and people across the northeast.

Chief coordinator of the Consumers' Legal Protection Forum ( CLPF), Ajoy Hazarika, termed another hike in LPG cylinders as "anti-people". "Commoners will be badly hit by this decision. Black marketeering of LPG cylinders is already rampant. If the Assam government does not take steps to curb this, there will be total chaos. It seems many families will have to shift to firewood from LPG if the hike goes on this way," said Hazarika.

Madhurima Saikia, a housewife residing in the Narengi area of the city, said the UPA government has lost the confidence of people. "We just can't tolerate such a decision. The hike in LPG prices has become a joke. How we will run our kitchens," she added.

Vegetable prices in Upper Assam burn holes in customers’ pockets

The flood that swept across the state in September might well be over, but the impact it left behind is still causing pain to the common man, particularly in the two Upper Assam districts of Tinsukia and Dibrugarh where almost 90 per cent of the population suffered directly or indirectly due to the floods.

One major impact which the common man is encountering these days is a massive price rise in the prices of vegetables. As the summer vegetables gradually vanish from the markets, winter vegetables like cauliflower, cabbages, brinjals, beans, etc., have started arriving in the markets. But, as the customers go to the market they are stumped with exorbitant prices of these vegetables.