Kolkata, Sep 1 : Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday said his government was taking steps to control prices of essential commodities, particularly sugar, which has seen a sharp rise over the past month.
Inaugurating a Consumer Protection Week programme at the historic Hogg Market in central Kolkata, he said the price of sugar had marginally declined following his government’s action.
Retail prices of sugar skyrocketed in the state, as in many other parts of the country, by over 30 per cent in just one month.
The state’s Enforcement Branch officials have been visiting different markets in Kolkata and other cities to keep a tab on prices of essentials and check unfair trade practices.
“The retail price of sugar and vegetables has seen a rise,” Adhikari said, asserting that his government was taking action on issues affecting the general public.
He also said the state government was taking action against food adulteration and the use of non-food-grade colour in consumables and sweets, urging that businesses be conducted transparently.
Stating that some officials might have been allowing unfair practices, the chief minister took a potshot at previous governments, saying, “The whole system has become rotten.”
Asserting that consumer affairs had been one of the neglected departments, Adhikari said, “I do not remember a chief minister of this state attending such programmes of the department in the past.”
“The way corrupt practices at every level were given an institutional framework in the state, both buyers and sellers were getting cheated,” he said, while alleging that people were getting cheated at every level, from buying fish and vegetables to residential flats.
“I have been getting numerous complaints in my Janata Darbar about people getting duped while buying residential flats.”
Adhikari said around 10 days ago, 120 people were arrested in Salt Lake for allegedly duping people into paying money for food delivery, claiming to be representatives of well-known brands.
“The Consumer Affairs Department has a huge responsibility to secure the interests of buyers,” the chief minister added. (PTI)
