KOLKATA: Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee rolled out a slew of administrative measures on Thursday to keep prices of essentials in check even as she continued to target the BJP politically for the runaway rise in fuel and LPG prices, which she called a "planned calamity" and "a return gift" to voters for helping the BJP retain Uttar Pradesh.
The number of Sufal Bangla stalls, which sell 177 vegetables and other food products at lower than market rates, will be increased from 332 to 500 — a more than 50% jump — across the state. The state government had introduced these stalls in 2014, after a runaway rise in the price of onions and potatoes. Banerjee on Thursday urged officials to deploy unused buses for mobile Sufal Bangla stalls.
The mobile Sufal Bangla stalls should visit markets both in the morning and in the evening, Banerjee suggested and added that potato price should be fixed at Rs 18 at these stalls. She also said she wanted fruits like papayas, watermelons, dates and bananas to be sold along with potatoes and onions.
Cops have been asked to allow trucks bringing in perishables (like eggs and vegetables) to enter Kolkata throughout the day. Heavy goods vehicles can ply in Kolkata from 10pm to 8am.
Banerjee, while making these announcements, asked the Centre to provide temporary toll relief to trucks carrying food and essentials.
The current toll regime requires heavy vehicles to pay over Rs 300 for a one-way journey and over Rs 500 for a same-day return. "The economic situation is bad. The centre must chalk out a policy. I appeal to the centre to stop taking toll temporarily. They have raised the toll (from April 1)," Banerjee said.
Price hike was "a central subject", the CM said, but the centre was doing nothing. "Fuel prices have risen 16 times in the last 15 days," she said, also lambasting the centre for raising the price of 800 life-saving and common-use drugs.
"Why isn't the centre using the CBI and the ED to raid markets and unscrupulous traders instead of using these agencies against political parties? It has not done anything to stop hoarding and control price rises. It is a planned calamity. They want to divert people's attention (with these raids)," Banerjee said.
Banerjee asked the state task force to monitor markets along with police and agri-marketing officials and advised transport minister Firhad Hakim to give tax relief to school buses and other vehicles used by students.
"Many state exchequers, like Sri Lanka's, are in a very bad shape. They may not be able to even pay salaries for long. All states should seek their dues (from the centre) on this," the CM said, referring to the "GST dues" and urging the centre to give states another five-year GST compensation cess (for making up the loss in revenue because of the GST switchover in 2017). "The centre is taking away all the money. They are not even releasing our dues of Rs 90,000 crore. They are taking away all the money. We want our share," she added.
The CM also appealed to Posta wholesale market traders not to hike prices of essentials during the local new-year season.
INSET WITH TURN
Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said the state government would set up two drug-testing laboratories as there were rising complaints about spurious drugs in the market. "It is the centre's duty to check this but it is not doing anything," she said.
