No steps taken in Bihar to contain vegetable prices: BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi

Slamming the JD(U) government over rising prices of vegetables in Bihar, former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said that no effective step has been taken to augment supply of these commodities and crack down on hoarders to bring down prices.

"It is the job of the state government to ensure abundant supply of vegetables like potato and tomato in the market so that consumers could buy these items at affordable rate," he said in a statement.

The prices of potato and tomato have hit the roof recently, but the state government has shown no inclination to talk to West Bengal to lift ban on supply of potato to markets in neighbouring states, Modi said.

The NDA government has taken a number of steps to effectively curb price rise even as the Delhi government has opened outlets to sell potato and other vegetables at affordable rates, he said.

Modi also criticised the state government for delay in issuing ration cards to beneficiaries for availing their rightful quota of food grains under the Food Security Act.

"Rural people have been forced to buy rations from markets at a high price as the food grains meant for sale through public distribution system have ended up in the godowns of the hoarders and black marketers due to collusion between officials of the food and consumer affairs departments and middlemen," he said.