POTATO & ONION PRICES ARE SURGING IN ROURKELA SO AS CORONA PATIENTS (!).
Rajesh Mohapatra,Odishabarta
ROURKELA: In pandemic situation like corona everybody is suffering so as the pocket of the consumers. It has been seven months altogether where the globe is suffering from corona and the figures are still moving up. But the prices of food are surging up in many places in India. Rourkela has been one of the victims of price inflation. Potato and Onion prices in few months have surged past more than 90% which is a key challenge ahead for consumers. These two items are key ingredients in Indian kitchen and people across the life whether rich or poor consume both these items with free hand but the scenario has changed drastically. Middleclass people are now reducing their consumption of these two items particularly onion whose price in Rourkela stands at Rs.70 to Rs.80/ for kg. Potato rate is now Rs.45 to Rs.50/ and is expected to increase in coming 15 days as per the statements of potato sellers. In some remote areas prices of these two items are more than 10% than in main town. Anyways, this is a caution for the local administration and it has to be dealt with utmost priority. Vegetables rates are somehow stable than the past but on some occasions it surges 15-20% per kg on some selective vegetables. Two months back administration and the wholesaler of potato and onions had a meeting with ADM to control the price increase and a standard rate was decided to put for different markets but it remains for few months only and again the prices are hiked because of some known reasons what the traders are claiming, short supply and high price from vendors they are purchasing. Govt. has to look deep into this problem for the common people which will bring fewer burdens to the pockets of poor.
