Anantnag, Apr 05: Authorities in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district conducted an intensive market checking on Wednesday after receiving complaints of essential items being sold at exorbitant prices.
The people accused the traders of floating the government-fixed rate lists and urged the authorities to intensify market checking by designating market checking squads.
“The prices of essential commodities have reached an all-time high that too in this holy month of Ramadan. The shopkeepers are arbitrarily selling commodities at their own will. We appeal to authorities to conduct routine market checking and penalise these traders,” Mushtaq Ahmad, a local, said.
Meanwhile, a joint team of Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA), Food Safety, Legal Metrology, and the Municipal Council (MC), Anantnag conducted the market checking.
Mudasir Ahmad, Assistant Director FCS&CA, Anantnag, said the drive was carried out in collaboration with other line departments in Anantnag Town. He said the market checking was also carried out at the Tehsil Supply Office (TSO) level.
“During the drive, a total of 150 business establishments were inspected, and a fine of Rs 7600 was recovered from the erring shopkeepers,” Mudasir said, adding, “The MC Anantnag confiscated 50 kilograms of prohibited polythene. A large number of rotten vegetables, fruits, and other expired items were also destroyed on the spot.”
The officer said the drive was also stepped up in other tehsils throughout the district. A large number of rotten vegetables, fruits, and expired items were destroyed on the spot during the market inspection, he said, adding that a fine of Rs 10,100 was recovered from the traders who violated the rules.
The fines imposed on erring shopkeepers in different locations are as: Achabal Rs. 2200, Srigufwara Rs 5100, Pahalgam and Seer Rs 1200, Qazigund Rs 600, and Bijbehara Rs 1000, an official said.
