Manipur govt fixes prices of essential commodities to check unusual hike amid COVID-19 pandemic

Following hue and cry on the price rise, the Manipur government on Saturday announced the prices of essential commodities under section 3 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

While fixing the prices of the essential commodities both wholesale rare and retail prices, the state government ordered all shops and establishments who are dealing in wholesale and retail of essential commodities to display the price list at a permanent place in their place of business and shops.

Even though there were no disturbances in the flow of the essential commodities, soaring prices of essential commodities were reported from across the state, taking undue advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Apart from hiking the prices, wholesalers as well as retailers were selling their goods at the prices fixed at their own interests, making it hard for the common people to afford their daily needs amidst the partial lockdown to check the spread of the COVID-19 in the state.

Following the hue and cry on the trend, members of Manipuri Students’ Federation have conducted drives at shops in Imphal markets to check the prices of items sold to the people on Friday.

Revealing that apart from businessmen fixing the prices of the goods in their own way, the students’ body alleged that the shopkeepers were not displaying any price list for items they were selling. 

While asking the shops to display the prices, they had warned the traders against hiking prices of the essential commodities in the backdrop of the pandemic. 

The students’ body had further drew the attention of the authority concerned of the government to take up the needful to check the unreasonable hike in the prices of the goods.

NNN