Prices of essentials rise as supply falls

Fear is not the only enemy residents of riot-hit Basirhat have to fight these days. With shops and markets closed since last Sunday and supply chains cut off, people are being forced to choose between hunger and an artificial inflation.

Supplies are dwindling and prices of vegetables, chicken, egg, fish, mutton and other perishable items are heading north.

Ruma Mandal, a homemaker from the Chapapara area near Basirhat town has been serving only potato curries to her family for the last few days.

“It is the only vegetable available in the local markets ever since tension gripped this area on Monday,” she said. “But potato is selling at a premium. Last week I paid ₹8 for a kilo and today I bought two kilos for ₹24,” she said.

Price of onion too have skyrocketed . Srinath Ghosh, a resident of the Bhyabla area, said onion used to be sold for ₹20 a kilo but “now we are paying anything between ₹30 and ₹32. There is an acute shortage of supply. Most of the shopkeepers are taking advantage of the situation” .

A district administration official said the difference in the demography of Basirhat town and that of the adjoining villages was responsible for the inflation.

“The town population comprises mostly of Hindus while the villagers are Muslims. Since the violence started, the villagers have stopped supplying farm and animal products to the towns. ”