Lucknow: Vendors charging exorbitant rates

LUCKNOW: Though the district administration has fixed prices of vegetables and ration items in the city, several grocers and vegetable vendors are violating the order by selling goods at more than double rates.
The district administration issued a price list of ration items and vegetables on March 25 and directed sellers to follow it. For instance rates of pulses were capped between Rs 58 and Rs 105 per kg, onions and tomatoes are to be sold at Rs 26 per kg, while rice was fixed at Rs 27 per kg.
Talking to TOI, chief development officer Manish Bansal said that teams have been formed to check blackmarketing of essential goods.“If anyone comes across any person indulging in such practices he can lodge a complaint with us on our grievance redressal number.”
However, people in several localities said that retailers and vegetable-sellers are charging exorbitant rates for vegetables and other essential commodities. “They are selling onion at Rs 60 per kg, while in the newspaper I have read that onions’ rates cannot exceed Rs 25 per kg. But vendors are saying that they will not lower the price. If I want to purchase onion I have to buy it for Rs 60 per kg,” said Anita Jha at a vegetable market in Jankipuram Sector-B.
Kamal Thapa, a resident of Indiranagar Sec-14, said, “I tried to place an order on helpine number issued by the district administration for buying ration. However, even after trying several times I could not place the order. I visited a local ration shop in my area to buy rice, but he was selling it for Rs 75 per kg. Normally the same is sold at Rs 40 per kg.”
In Daliganj, Kalpana Saxena said, “Ration shops in my area are selling flour at Rs 47 per kg. I have never bought flour at such a rate. When I told them that I would lodge a complaint against them they said they would continue to sell it at the same price.
Not only vegetables and ration, but fruits are also being sold at double rates.