Strict action against horders and over-charging retailers

New Delhi, June 24 (UNI) In an effort to arrest spiralling prices of food items and fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today said strict action will be initiated from Monday against hoarders and retailers who over-charged the public.

Teams of the Enforcement wing of the Food and Civil Supplies department would visit various markets in the city to ensure this from Monday, she said.

The state government would also consider imposition of Essential Commodities Act if need be, she added.

Talking about tomatoes being sold at 'controlled' price of Rs 20 a kg from government vends at Azadpur (North Delhi), Okhla (South Delhi), Ghazipur (East Delhi) and Keshopur (West Delhi) from today, Ms Dikshit said more stalls would be openned if required.

Meanwhile, Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee officials today said the situation was expected to start normalising from June 30.

Today, 223.17 tonnes of tomatoes landed in the fruit and vegetable wholesale market at Azadpur against 209 tonnes yesterday, raising hopes that prices would come down with more supplers coming in.

Yesterday, State Food and Civil Supplies Minister R K Chauhan had announced that tomatoes would be sold at Rs 20 a kg from today in order to provide relief to the common man.

Informing that 209 tonnes of the red fruit had arrived in the national capital, the minister indicated that as its arrival quantity increased, government would reduce the price further.

The usually sweet tasting fruit, used in most dishes, had turned sour with it selling at prices ranging between Rs 32 to 40 per kg.

Unseasonal rain in Himachal Pradesh and high temperature in Haryana and Rajasthan was said to be the reason behind the unusually less arrival of tomatos compared to its arrival (above 500 tonnes on an average) last year.

Tomatoes from Solan (HP) were the most expensive but also the best quality, those from Rajasthan and Haryana came next, while those from Uttar Pradesh were the cheapest.

A small amount of the vegetable also came from Maharashtra.

UNI IP VD RK1815