Owais Gul
Srinagar, Jan 14: In absence of the government regulations, prices of essential commodities have skyrocketed in Kashmir and no quality check has added to the insecurities of the consumers.
The Department of Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCSCA) that regulated the prices and checked the quality of essential items like bread, mutton, vegetables, and milk lost its teeth after the markets were decontrolled in the Valley.
An official of the FCSCA department said, “Our department has no power to regulate the prices of the essential commodities sold in the open market.”
He said that many years have passed since markets in Kashmir were decontrolled. “At present, shopkeepers and traders are free to fix the prices.”
Asked whether the department is authorized to check the quality of the items being sold in the market, the official said, “No.” “In the open market it’s the duty of the traders, vendors and shopkeepers to ensure that no substandard product is sold.”
It may be recalled that earlier the government used to fix the rate of mutton, chicken and other items and special squads were deployed to check the quality of the essential commodities sold in the markets.
“Butchers had to get the mutton stamped before selling it in the open market. The stamp was put by a SMC official under the supervision of an official of the Animal Husbandry Department,” said an official.
He said that mutton prices were deregulated a few years ago. “At present there is no slaughter house in Srinagar. A new slaughter house is being constructed at Alocha Bagh in uptown. Once it becomes operational the mutton will be checked and stamped again,” the official said, adding, “The process of putting stamps on mutton was a certification that it’s fit for human consumption.”
In December last year Kashmir Trade Alliance (KTA) had urged the government to regulate essential commodity prices in the Valley. “The decontrolled prices are hitting the common masses hard. There is a pressing need to revert to the previous pattern of price regulation to provide succour to the people,” the KTA had said in a statement.
According to the consumers, prices of vegetables and other commodities have surged beyond previous highs. “Cost of the mutton has reached Rs 700 per kg, forcing many families to reconsider their food choices and cut down on consumption,” said Mohammad Furqan.
“Without the fixed price lists and enforcement mechanisms that were once in place, the market has been left to operate without oversight. Prices of vegetables and other essential commodities vary from area to area. Earlier prices used to be consistent but now there is no regulation. Consumers have been left at the mercy of the sellers,” said a resident.
Another consumer said, “The costs of bakery items like cakes, pastries and patties too have witnessed a steep hike. A plain cake which used to cost around Rs 40 not long ago is now being sold at Rs 80. Many bakery items have gone out of reach of the consumers due to exorbitant price hike.”
The deregulation of markets besides hitting a common man hard has also created problems for the small businesses such as restaurants, roadside food vendors and others.
Common people have been left with no other option other than to cut back on what to eat, while the small business owners have increased the prices to survive.
According to economists, supply and demand determine prices in a free market, government intervention is essential to prevent inflation and protect both producers and consumers. “A balance needs to be maintained to protect the interests of both buyers and sellers,” said an economist.
