Shortage of food stock in market
From Our Correspondent
TURA: High prices of common vegetables, shortage of food stock and absence of money for want of work are plaguing the innocent poor of Garo Hills and the situation continues to deteriorate further as the GNLA refuses to back down from its threat of a 300-hour dawn-to-dusk bandh.
The last five days of closure by the GNLA pushed prices of all basic food items towards the sky. To make matters worse food stock depleted after a bandh call given by traders from the plain belt region of Rajabala and adjoining areas.
The situation further deteriorated after exporters from Assam’s Dhubri district refused to allow food items, particularly cheap vegetables, to enter Garo Hills.
The West Garo Hills district administration has managed to convince the Rajabala traders to open up shop on Sunday afternoon after a round of successful meeting between the agitating groups and district officials. The core demand of the agitators had been for an improved security scenario in their area of domain due to fears of attacks by the Garo outfit which targeted members of a minority family in Kalaichar area of Ampati last month. In that attack a young girl child was killed after militants lobbed a grenade on their house.
The administration is bringing in an additional company of BSF personnel for patrolling in the plain belt region ahead of the GNLA’s 300-hour bandh.
The remaining problem lies with the import of vegetables and other perishable goods from Dhubri district. The traders from Singimari and Mankachar are reluctant to enter Garo Hills with their supply due to security fears.
In view of the deadlock, vegetables such as potatoes and onions have gone out of stock in Tura and other towns and people are being forced to bring in supply on individual vehicles from places as far away as Paikan, Krishnai and Dudhnoi.
“I managed to get ten kilograms each of potatoes and onions and some leafy vegetables thanks to my uncle who was coming to Tura from Guwahati today,” said a relieved petty shopkeeper from Tura.
The district administration has also informed that additional trucks are due to arrive on Monday with fresh stock of vegetables, particularly potatoes and onions.