Vegetable prices head north, MLAs blame mandi mafia, Centre’s apathy

The skyrocketing prices of vegetables have started troubling residents with rates of a basic vegetable like tomato soaring to Rs 100 per kilogram. Homemakers are fended off by the vendors with the hint that the prices may rise further in the coming days. In fact, it’s not just tomatoes, all other vegetables are being sold at exorbitant rates, like onions for Rs 60-70 per kg, cauliflower for Rs 80 per kg, peas at Rs 120 per kg and bottle gourd for Rs 70-80 per kg, to name a few.

Gurpreet Bassi Gogi, MLA West, blamed the “mandi mafia” for the rising prices of basic vegetables. When asked what he would do as an elected representative to provide respite to the masses from such inflation, Gogi said that he cannot bring about change alone and there is need to crack the whip against the mandi mafia, that stocks vegetables and when the supply is short, starts exploiting the people. He said that he feels “helpless” in tackling the rising inflation.

At the same time, Madan Lal Bagga, MLA North, blamed the farmers for not sowing vegetables in Punjab. Bagga said that the farmers of Punjab had taught the farmers of other states about sowing vegetables, but today they were themselves not interested in growing vegetables or sugarcane for reasons best known to them. A major reason why people in Punjab have to pay more is because farmers of Punjab have stopped growing vegetables, said Bagga.

Blaming the Union Government for the entire mess, MLA East Daljit Bhola Grewal said the scenario in Punjab would have been different had the Central Government provided help to the farmers here. “But who cares for the farmers here? We have no major role in controlling the prices, it is the Central Government which needs to take a call on this inflation,” said Grewal.

MLA South Rajinder Kaur Chinna said that she herself was shocked by the skyrocketing prices of vegetables. “I went to get vegetables and tomatoes were selling for Rs 150 per kilogram. I asked my assistant to get tomato puree instead of fresh tomatoes. We are getting complaints against the mandi mafia, and will sort out things with the Chairman, Mandi Board. The common man must not be burdened and our government will come up with some kind of solution,” said the MLA.

“We feel helpless as no one is bothered about controlling the rising inflation. We toil the whole day for two square meals and feel frustrated when at the end of the day, we fail to get vegetables. Farmers, industrialists and teachers stage protest by blocking road and rail traffic but the common man cannot even protest if things are not going his way,” said Uma, a domestic help.

Despite repeated attempts, the newly inducted ministers in state cabinet Hardeep Singh Mundian and Tarunpreet Singh Sondh did not respond. MLA from Atam Nagar Kulwant Singh Sidhu also could not be reached for his comments.

Ashok Parashar Pappi, MLA from Ludhiana Central, said it was right that the common man was burdened too much. “The farmer is still getting the minimum price while the end customer is paying too much for the same produce that means middlemen are to be blamed. I will visit mandis on Monday and will do something about it to provide relief to the common man,” he said.