Hike of thirty rupees on popular meat products
TURA: At a time of rising costs on living and citizens seek out the best affordable prices for fish and meat products to take back to their kitchens, the Tura Municipal Board appears to be moving in the opposite direction.
A new price list for pork, beef, chicken, mutton and fish released by the Tura Municipal Board, a week ago, has angered consumers and raised questions over the manner in which the decision was taken by the board officials to raise the prices since it immensely benefits the meat traders at the expense of the public.
The anger among the meat loving citizens of Tura is palpable given that meat prices have been steadily rising each year.
Among the 36 items of fish and meat products new rates that were released by the TMB, the raised prices on pork, fish and chicken has become the centre of the storm.
Pork that was being sold for Rs 250 a kilogram the entire of last year was suddenly raised to Rs 270 by butchers during the Christmas season. Even as consumers were reeling under the new price tag, the Tura Municipal Board has further pushed the rates up by adding a ten rupee hike to put the figure at Rs 280.
“Beef and pork was going for Rs 250 in most butcher shops at Rongkhon, Rongram and Tura, until some unscrupulous traders pushed it to 270 in December, and now the municipal board has made it more complicated with its new rates,” angry citizens complain.
Another commodity in high demand-Chicken (Broiler) has also seen its prices raised by the municipal board. Chicken that was being sold in Tura bazaar for Rs 200 is now to cost Rs 240 a kg.
The story is the same with the variety of fish with the most common item ‘Rohu’ now selling at Rs 200, a hike of twenty rupees.
The decision of the board to go ahead with the price rise without consulting the stakeholders of Tura has had a telling effect.
Some butchers complain that angry consumers are refusing to buy meat and chicken under the new prices leading to altercations in the early morning hours. Restaurateurs are worried too.
“The rise in meat prices affects us because it cuts down our returns. We either raise the prices of our items on the menu or stand to incur a loss,” says Red Door Café owner Brendon D’Brass.
Tura Bodies demand cancellation of new prices
Meanwhile, several local bodies and organizations have called for a roll back of the Tura Municipal Board prices.
Expressing strong resentment over the price hike, the New Tura Development forum called on the West Garo Hills deputy commissioner Ram Singh to register a protest.
“The selling prices of these meat and fish products have been arbitrarily fixed and we are constrained to state that the members of NTDF vehemently oppose the move of the TMB. Why was the rates hiked without taking the opinion of majority of stakeholders and on what basis the prices have been hiked in a hasty manner?” the members of the NTDF demanded to know in their memorandum to the government.
Hitting out at the TMB for its claims that the decision was taken after a public meeting with ‘all’ stake holders, the New Tura Development forum clarified that a majority of the stakeholders, including themselves (NTDF), were not informed of the meet.
Demanding that the board rescind the order, the forum leaders urged that authorities ensure no arbitrarily hike takes place without proper discussion with the general public who have been hit the hardest by the latest municipal decision.
Meanwhile, another group of area development committees of Tura, namely Boldak A’ding, Nikrang A’ding, Balading and Upper Babupara committees have also submitted a joint petition to the deputy commissioner raising concern at the new municipal rates, on fish, chicken and meat, and also the unregulated high pricing on rice, dal, onions and potatos.
“Most of the stakeholders were not informed or were unaware of the decision to raise the prices of meat and fish products,” pointed out the members of the committees.
These committees are calling for the establishment of a ‘Price Monitoring Board’ which should be headed by the deputy commissioner.
They brought to the notice of the deputy commissioner the excessive charging by labourers engaged in work in and around Tura and the disparity in parking fees being collected at Tura market and the Urban parking area and sought its regulation.
