The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Though the joint forces were regularly patrolling and ensuring hanging of price lists of essentials in the city markets, consumers alleged that the traders do not follow the price list and the monitoring was having litle effect on the soaring prices.

Consumers alleged that the prices remained low during the monitoring of the joint forces but it increased after they leave.

Retailers and wholesalers blamed each other for not adhering to the price list of the joint forces. The joint forces hung the list, containing buying and selling price of every essential, but the consumers had to pay more.

Consumers yesterday bought Brinjal at Tk 40, which was to be sold at Tk 32 as per the list, Cucumber at Tk 34 instead of Tk 24, and Green Chili from Tk 56 to Tk 60 instead of Tk 50. The price of grocery items and meat however remained unchanged yesterday.

Consumers also alleged the traders did not give them any receipt of their goods after the monitoring team of the joint forces leave the market, however, they gave the receipt in presence of the team.

Meanwhile, economists termed the monitoring of the market by joint forces and hanging of the price list a temporary measure to control the market

They said it would not be effective in the long-term and recommended the government to take collective efforts to control the price of essentials.

Eminent economist Dr Abul Barakat said the initiative by the joint forces was an experiment to try to control the market

He said there are about three crore families and rice was sold in about three to four lakh shops across the country. If all the families buy rice once a day, it would be difficult to monitor all the purchases he said.

He also recommended the government to increase the income of the people and ensure smooth supply of goods.