The state government has come up with a novel way to curb the rising prices of vegetables and fruits. It will set up outlets,106 of them,in supermarkets and government establishments from Monday. The decision was taken by Agriculture Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil Thursday after CM Prithviraj Chavan urged him to intervene. Vegetable prices have multiplied five times,inviting public wrath. Vikhe-Patil said,The prices of vegetables cannot be justified. The inflation has been created by retailers. Shortage of perishable vegetables is 10-15 per cent. But the price rise is almost 40-50 per cent. The outlets,one of which will be opened at Mantralaya in Nariman Point,promise to sell farm produce at reasonable prices. Vikhe-Patil said,The effort will be to sell vegetables on a no-profit,no-loss basis. The minister held meetings with Agriculture Producers and Marketing Corporation (APMC),which told him the price rise was artificial. A senior APMC director (marketing) said,Vegetable markets are clearly being manipulated by retailers who are operating in an organised manner. If the price of tomato in Rs 40 per kg,they are selling it for Rs 60-70 per kg. The consumer forum has told the government a majority of fresh vegetables is selling at Rs 100 per kg. Minister for minorities Naseem Khan has urged Vikhe-Patil to also control prices of fruits considering Ramzan. People often consume only fruits in the month of fasting. The biggest concern for the government now is to ensure the 106 outlets do not run out of stock. Vikhe-Patil has sought an assurance from wholesalers of sustained supply in July. He said,A similar experiment has been successful in Pune. There are 60 outlets in Pune. An initiative is being taken up in Nagpur as well. The government wants to send a strong message to retailers through the outlets,which are expected to bring the prices down. It is,however,not cracking down on them or malls selling vegetables and fruits at exorbitant rates.
