Kolkata: Vegetable prices soar as truck stir continues

KOLKATA: The truckers’ indefinite strike is all set to enter the third day on Wednesday as the meeting between operators’ associations and transport department officials proved unsuccessful on Tuesday, putting pressure on the stock of daily essentials at wholesale markets.

The prices of some products, including vegetables, have started going up with the the supply line drying up.The transport department officials on Tuesday met the truck operators. But the meeting failed as the truck operators refused to withdraw the strike.
“We have demanded a meeting with the chief minister or at least the transport minister, since it is a matter of policy. The officials were non-committal on our demands and complaints,” said Subhas Bose, secretary of Federation of West Bengal Truck Operators’ Associations (FWBTOA), an umbrella organization of truckers’ bodies. The supply of perishables like vegetables and fish to the city could be maintained as the police helped some trucks cross the inter-state borders. But the supply line is being hit with the price of some commodities soaring. Potato, onions and ginger are getting costlier than what their prices were before the strike.
“There will be impact on supply of food items and construction materials, including heavy metals,” said a truck operator. The operators had also blocked national highways for two hours on July 10.
“The truckers’ strike has failed to make an impact the way we feared. The stock of non-perishables is good and inter-district transportation of vegetables has not been affected much. Apart from small trucks, vegetables are often transported in local trains. If the truck strike continues for a few days more, the wholesale and retail markets will be affected,” said Kamal Dey, president, West Bengal Vegetable Vendors’ Association.