Vendors mint money as markets remain shut

INDORE: Polls gave vegetable vendors yet another reason to mint money. As wholesale markets remained closed on Monday, the vendors made most of the opportunity and pushed up the vegetable prices. Tomatoes available for Rs 70 a kilogram the previous day, were being sold for above Rs 100/kg. Potatoes were available for double the usual price while onions were dearer by a good Rs 20/kg. Other vegetables too were retailed with a margin of about 30%.
The situation was worse in up market areas like Saket, Gulmohar and Vijay Nagar were people were left fuming. "The vendors do not miss even a single opportunity of fleecing customers," said Vineeta Shah, a homemaker. All that she could buy for Rs 200 was a kg tomato, half kg of onion with few vegetables.
"It would have been better if I had brought the vegetables the previous day. After 12 noon today, the vendors sold potatoes for over Rs 60/kg," said Meenakshi Aswal, a resident of Scheme No. 78.
The vendors had pushed up the vegetable prices to stratosphere during Diwali festival earlier this month. Even as the supply was sufficient in the wholesale market, the vendors had cited untimely rainfall to justify their act. "There should be a system in place to check such unscrupulous acts of the vendors who have been acting according to their whims and fancies.
Another homemaker, Ashwini Maurya, said, "The government should do something about such price hike. It is really making a hole in the pockets of common man."
"All that I could get from a vendor for Rs 150 was a kg of tomatoes, a cauliflower and 2 lemons. I had to pay Rs 300 for three different vegetables. It is Rs 100 more from the usual rates," said Rita Solanki, a professional.
A wholesale vendor at Choithram Vegetable Market, Ganesh Lahane said, "Prices of vegetables are already high. Tomatoes were sold out at a price of Rs 1,300 to 1,500 for 25kg (Rs 52 to 60/kg). We also need to earn some on this day."
Retail vendor Manohar Singh Solanki, said, "Yes, I am charging Rs 20 to 30 more than the usual market price. We rarely get to earn."