Sellers take advantage of helplessness of panic stricken citizens by overpricing commodities

Some vendors and sellers who deal in essential commodities like vegetables and other food items took the chance of the helplessness of panic-citizens in Guwahati and hiked the prices of items on the eve of the lock-down declared by the state government to contain the COVID-19 contamination. As for instance, a section of unholy sellers have hiked the price of per kilogram tomatoes to Rs. 50 from Rs.20 in prominent vegetable markets like Beltala and Sixmile Bazars. This has created heated debate among some vendors and buyers. Similarly, some wholesalers, allegedly, have hiked prices of essential commodities without any reason. People demand the administration to take a step against such traders. Government of Assam has declared complete lock-down in the state from 6pm today till March 31 in a step to break the coronavirus chain.