Agartala: Ban on catching and transporting Hilsa in Bangladesh has affected Tripura markets in this festive season that leads to black marketing of the delicious fish across the state for past two days.
According to reports, except a few border markets of the state, Hilsa had disappeared since last week and in Agartala it sold at Rs 1000 per kg on Friday.
A section of fish sellers had withdrawn Hilsa from other markets and stocked it at Agartala considering the high demand on Laxmipuja.
Civil Supplies Minister Manik Dey admitted here today that the government did not have any strong mechanism to regulate the retail market of fish, vegetables and meat and taking advantage a section of businessmen hiked the rates.
”It is not possible to bring every edible commodity under civil supplies outlet but if any consumer lodges specific complaint against any trader of selling any item at irrational price, the authority would act upon it,” Dey said adding that Tripura had been demanding a supply of 14 essential commodities in rationing system but the Centre did not allow it.
The fish price had gone high following issuance of ban on Hilsa fish catching, transporting and trading till October 16 by Bangladesh Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdul Latif Biswas on September 29 to give a boost to the production of Hilsa.
Since the fish lays eggs during this period, the Bangladesh government imposed a ban on its catch at four points of the coastal area to retain the production of Hilsa, said Manir Hussein Babul, General Secretary of Land Custom’s C & F Association.
Earlier, the Bangladesh government had banned the export of Hilsa to India, citing that Bangladeshis were not getting adequate amount of this fish due to heavy imports at high price by Indian traders.
Though statistics showed India imports only 25 per cent of Hilsa from Bangladesh, prices of Hilsa was very high in Bangladeshi retail market, Babul said adding not only Hilsa, export of other fish to Tripura had also reduced substantially over the week from Bangladesh. (UNI)