Kolkata: No respite from skyrocketing vegetable prices

Kolkata, Dec 6

Soaring prices of vegetable in the retail market continue to burn a hole in common man's pocket in Kolkata.

According to estimates of members of the task force of the state government, who keep the prices of essential commodities in the retail market under check, on an average, the price of almost all the vegetable are higher by Rs 15 to Rs 20 a kilogram than what it should have been during this time of the year (arrival of winter).

According to the estimates of the task force's members, though the prices for tomatoes, peas and onions have eased slightly than what it was during the festival seasons of Durga Puja and Kali Puja, the existing prices are still higher than normal rates. So is the case for garlic and ginger, two must-haves for the Bengali cuisines.

While tomatoes are selling at Rs 60 a kilogram in the retail market, the price of peas per kilogram is hovering around Rs 100. The average price of onions in the retail markets is Rs 60 a kilogram,

If these prices are still somewhere within the limits, the prices of ginger and garlic are really matter of concern. While garlic is priced at Rs 300 a kilogram, the same for ginger is over Rs 200 a kilogram.

The members of the task force feel that generally the price of the essential commodities are still hovering high in the retail markets of Kolkata, which are not produced in ample qualities in the state.

"So since the dependence on the supply from other states for these products are high, prices for them go up whenever there is any shortage of supply," said a member of the task force.