'Traders to earn, people to suffer' AASU on Essential Commodities Bill

GUWAHATI: Chief Advisor of All Assam Students' Union (AASU) Dr Samujjal Bhattacharjya has accused the Centre of giving 'licence' to traders to cause exorbitant price rise at their own whims and fancies by removing cereals, pulses, oil seeds, edible oils, onion and potatoes from the list of essential commodities.

"The Centre's move will break the economic backbone of the middle class and poor section of people in the society. Now unscrupulous traders will have a free hand to create artificial scarcity of items such as pulses, onion and potato at any time to make their prices go up. The people will have to be at the mercy of these unscrupulous traders," Dr Bhattacharjya told The Sentinel.

Dr Bhattacharjya said it would not be an exaggeration to say that the government has given a licence to traders to hike prices of items which once considered essential, to earn a windfall at any time they wish or desire.

The strongly worded statement of Dr Bhattacharjya has come at a time when the people are feeling the pinch of price rise. The prices of potato and onion have suddenly witnessed an exorbitant rise without any specific reason. "The supply of onion and potato from the sources is normal. But we have to increase the prices as the wholesale prices of the items have gone up," a retail grocery shop owner at Ulubari said. He said potato and onion are selling in between Rs 50 and Rs 60 at different places in the city.

Dr Bhattacharjya who is considered one of the most influential students' leaders in the country has drawn attention of the Prime Minister Office and Chief Minister Office in Assam towards the issue through his twitter account. He tweeted that the Centre's move would be a body blow to the common people.

The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, which was approved by the lower house on September 15, was approved by a voice vote in Rajya Sabha. The Bill replaces an ordinance promulgated in June.

The Bill is aimed at removing fears of private investors of excessive regulatory interference in their business operations.

Arguing in favour of the Bill the Centre has argued that the freedom to produce, hold, move, distribute and supply will lead to harnessing of economies of scale and attract private sector/foreign direct investment into agriculture sector.

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