Consumers feel cheated
Sir,
We are being told
that the alarmingly high inflation is due to rise
in the prices of staples such as fruits,
vegetables, rice, milk and to some extent on the
manufactured goods. While showing his concern for
this, Taj Mohi-ud-din, the Minister of Consumer
Affairs and Public Distribution made an effort to
check the prices of fruits and vegetables last
month.
The effort has not
only been clumsy but turned out to be counter
productive.
The sequence of
events followed like this. On the directions of
the Minister, the Department of CAPD conducted a
survey of the markets of the neighbouring states
and on the basis of that survey prepared a
‘retail price list’ for fruits and
vegetables vendors in Jammu. They even directed
their officers to strictly enforce these rates.
It was truly pleasant surprise for the people of
Jammu. A department which till then had believed
that its role was confined to publishing the
whole sale rates of fruits and vegetables once in
a month had finally awoken to its true call of
duty. The surprise, however, was short lived. The
retailers association of fruit and vegetable
sellers turned out to be a powerful body. They
(vendors) protested and within two days a new
list was prepared which has made the vendors very
happy.
The vendors are
required to display the revised pricelist
prominently on their ‘rehris’. For a
large sized banana the rate displayed invariably
for the last fortnight has been Rs 24/- per Kg
(by weight). This converts into Rs 50/- per
dozen. For the same size banana prior to meddling
by CAPD their quoted rate was at the most Rs 40/-
per dozen. Now thanks to the generosity of the
Ministers and his officers in the CAPD the
vendors are getting between Rs 45/- to Rs 50/-.
For that matter even oranges tell a comic story.
The same oranges which earlier were Rs 70/- per
dozen are now by CAPD directive (price list) Rs
55/- per Kg that is Rs 90/- per dozen.
An exercise
undertaken for the benefit of the consumer has
turned out to be a bonanza for the vendor. While
the vendors are grinning happily the consumer is
left confused and cheated.
We are told that
the Department of CAPD had conducted a survey
prior to launching this comedy of errors. The
department must have sent its officers to
neighbouring states for the mission and paid a
fat TA/DA. Sample what I have found in a sort of
do-it-yourself-survey.
I called a cousin,
head of prestigious school in Pathankot. I
requested him to step outside and find from the
nearest vendor rate for king size bananas. Within
minutes he called back with the information that
the king size bananas were being quoted at Rs 25
to Rs 30 per ‘dozen’. This was April
26. Inspired, I called my friend a retired Chief
Engineer in NHPC now settled in Jaipur. Jaipur is
the only place nearest to Jammu where the bananas
are quoted by weight per Kg. I made a similar
request to my friend in Jaipur. The response was
spontaneous. That very morning my friend had
bought best quality bananas at a rate of Rs 14/-
per Kg that is Rs 28/- per dozen.
The result of this
simple survey is very clear. While a consumer in
Jaipur and nearby Pathankot pays on an average Rs
30/- for per dozen of Bananas a consumer in
Jammu, thanks to the intervention of the Minister
and his director in CAPD has to pay Rs 45/- to Rs
50/-. Reason enough for a consumer to go bananas
over bananas.
The Department of
CAPD needs to understand this and take steps
where vendors as well consumers are also
benefitted.
Yours etc...
Vijay Gupta
Jammu
National game
Sir,
Hockey is our
national game. But what we have seen in the
recent history of the game is something that
shall disturb even the most complacent and
moribund person. We have steeped to such a low in
the hockey that it has now become second to
impossible to salvage the lost pride of the
nation in the game.
Hockey which was
the pride of the nation once has now relegated to
the background. It has literally fallen from the
grace and exalted position that it once enjoyed.
Hockey brought us for many years our single
olympic medal. Whenever Indians went to Olympic
prior to Tokoyo (1964) we always were sure that
at least one gold medal was in our kitty. And now
we have not even qualified for the Olympics. It
is a very sorry state of affairs. What are the
reasons of this general decline are to be seen
and analysed. Meanwhile the Indian Olympic
Federation has sacked the IHP President, Mr Gill.
Though he rendered praise worthy job in
countering militancy in the State of Punjab he
could do little to salvage the lost pride of
Indian Hockey. It was only to his tenure as
President of Indian Hockey Federation that we had
to forefeit the chance of qualifying for the
Olympics.
Now Indian Hockey
is at the crossroads of History. The situation is
do or die for us. We have to launch all out
efforts to make hockey click again. We as a
Nation are eagerly waiting for the day when the
dazzable of dribble of Indian Hockey player into
rule the world.
Yours etc...
Rama Kant
Udeywalla
Jammu.
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