In a bid to check rising tomato prices in the national capital, the Centre on Friday asked state-owned Mother Dairy to boost its availability and sell the key kitchen staple at Rs 40 per kg.
The Delhi government has also been asked to "exhort traders and logistic providers to increase the supply of tomatoes to the mandis to ensure immediate control of price rise," the Union Consumer Affairs Ministry said in a statement.
A decision in this regard was taken by a high level Inter Ministerial Committee meeting chaired by Consumer Affairs Secretary Avinash K Srivastava, it said.
Tomato prices in the retail markets of Delhi-NCR have shot up to Rs 60-80 per kg owing to supply disruptions following rains in key producing states.
"It was indicated by Horticulture Division that the situation is only momentary and augmenting of supplies which has commenced shall further increase. Due to the rains the supply of tomatoes in the market, which was delayed, will be back to normal," the ministry added.
The committee, which reviewed the price and availability of tomatoes in Delhi with stakeholders, observed that prices rose sharply since July 10 and took two decisions to immediately control the rise in prices.
Firstly, Mother Dairy has been directed to immediately begin selling quality tomatoes through its retail outlets at Rs 40 per kg. It has also been asked to increase the supply in the market to ensure that quality tomatoes are available to consumers at lower prices.
Secondly, the Delhi government's Food and Civil Supplies Department has been instructed to exhort traders and logistic providers to increase the supply of tomatoes to the mandis to ensure immediate control of price rise.
Mother Dairy sells fruits and vegetables in about 100 Safal outlets in the Delhi-NCR region.
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