Prices of essential items escalate

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Nov 10: Amid the acute social unrest gripping the State on account of imminent settlement of Naga peace talk and its possible impacts on the State’s integrity, the State is also facing serious impacts of sharp hike in the prices of essential commodities due to the lack of appropriate authorities to strictly check and control prices.
With the prices of many essential commodities shooting up across the State since the past few days, the prices of onions imported from other States and Myanmar have touched Rs 85 per kg  and Rs 75 per kg respectively. The price of garlic has also reached the mark of Rs 160 per kg.
Other essential commodities whose prices have risen sharply include varieties of dal and potato.
Although some shopkeepers in and around Imphal city claimed that the price hike is a resultant effect of delay in shipping essential commodities along National Highways, The Sangai Express found that there was no dearth of essential commodities in all the grocery shops of Khwairamband, Singjamei, Pishumthong, Tiddim line and New Checkon areas.
One of the shopkeepers at Pishumthong revealed that non-local traders of Khwairamband Keithel who supply goods to smaller grocery shops in various places across the State always play with the prices of essential commodities when there is any transportation problem.
Meanwhile, a few people who came to buy essential commodities at Pishum Keithel decried that lack of appropriate authorities to check the prices of essential commodities in the State often give a free hand to traders and retailers to do whatever they want whenever they get the chance.
One grocery shopkeeper whom this reporter met said that there will be win-win situation for the local grocery owners and buyers if the authorities concerned consistently monitor the prices of essential commodities in the State.