MAGURA, Oct 18: In defiance of the government directive, potato is being sold in the retail market of Magura at Tk 50 per kg.
Earlier, the Department of Agricultural Marketing had issued a directive to the deputy commissioners to enforce sale of potato in the retail market at Tk 30 per kg.
According to the directive, potato will be sold in the cold storage gate at Tk 23 per kg while it will be sold at Tk 25 in the wholesale market and at Tk 30 in the retail market.
But nowhere is the directive being seen to be followed.
Mokhlessur Rahman, a lawyer of Magura District Judge's Court, said there is no shortage of potato in the market. But middlemen are dominating the potato market exploiting consumers. Actually monitoring weakness of the government authorities is the only reason here. Schoolteacher Lina Khanom of Islampur area in Magura town said, "Potato is a daily essential.
High price of the vegetable has turned life of the low-income people miserable. We demand potato sale under Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) to ensure its fair price."
Only potato sale under TCB can ease commoners' suffering in the current situation. Karam Shekh, a retailer of Puratan Bazar in Magura town, said, "We are selling potato at Tk 50 per kg as we are purchasing from wholesalers at Tk 45 per kg. Then how shall I sell potato at Tk50 per kg?"
Tilam Hossen, a wholesaler of Dhaka road area in Magura town, said, "We are purchasing potato for Tk41per kg from cold storage gate." "Moreover, as there is no cold storage in Magura, we are collecting potato from Rangpur. Consequently, price of our potato stands at Tk45 per kg including transport cost at present. In this situation, how shall I sell potato at Tk 25 per kg?," he said.
When contacted, district marketing officer Jakir Hossen said, "In the meantime potato price has come down to Tk 45 per kg in the retail market from Tk 50 due to our strong monitoring."
"However, as there is no cold storage in Magura, we are facing difficulties to control potato market entirely," he added.
Contacted, TCB official Robiul Morshed said, "We are yet to get any instruction from the higher authorities to sell potato. Once we get the instruction, we will do so."
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