Rajasthan yet to develop mechanism for steady supply of groceries

JAIPUR: Amid lockdown, the state government is yet to develop a mechanism to ensure proper supply of grocery products to various stores across the city. With the continued panic buying and non-arrival of vehicles carrying grocery items to the retail stores, many grocery stores in Jaipur are sold out. This has left the consumers worried. However, Jaipur police commissioner, after meeting various food chains and stores supplying grocery items, assured that there is going to be an uninterrupted supply to the grocery stores in the city.
TOI on Wednesday visited various grocery stores and shops across the city to find out if they have various items available or not.
“We have not been getting the supply of wheat flour, millets and spices. Likewise, cookies and chips have also been sold out. On a regular day, we used to get uninterrupted supply from our wholesale dealers through their vehicles, else we used to visit their outlets to get items. But, no vehicles are coming for the past five days, thus we are very short of supply,” said Ramesh Khunteta, who owns a retail grocery store at Jhotwara locality. Majority of the shops do not have items like wheat flour, refined oil, desi ghee, pulses and even spices.
Even the Jaipur transport operators’ association complained that police are stopping grocery and other essential goods-laden trucks coming into Rajasthan. “Some of our trucks were coming from Uttar Pradesh and were stopped by the Bharatpur police. I spoke to the superintendent of police, Bharatpur to ensure arrival of these trucks in Jaipur,” said Gopal Singh Rathore, president of Jaipur transport operators’ association.
When contacted, Anand Srivastav, commissioner of police, said, “We had a meeting with the various food chains having online stores of grocery and other wholesalers. We have assured that that their vehicles would be allowed and urged them to ensure proper and timely supply of goods in the city.”
CM Ashok Gehlot, while appealing for lockdown, has categorically asked the officers to ensure uninterrupted supply of groceries. District collectors and district superintendent of police have been asked to ensure the smooth moving of transport vehicles sending grocery items to various districts.
Many grocery stores also apprehended that in this time of crisis, many wholesalers, in order to hike prices of various commodities, are doing it purposely. “In a day or two, they will increase the prices and we will have to take it as we have our regular customers asking for things. I think it is a very crucial period and manufacturers and wholesalers should understand the plight of people and cooperate,” said Vishnu Goyal, a retailer at Bapu Nagar.