Punjab: Supply Shortage Of Vegetables, Medicines During Lockdown

by GoNews Desk 4 years ago Views 3090

Punjab: Supply Shortage Of Vegetables, Medicines D
The Central and state governments claim that there will be no shortage of essential commodities in the country during the lockdown. But in several states, household staples have become expensive due to hoarding done with the intention of black-marketing. There is also a paucity of medicines in some places.

Medical store owners in Punjab’s Ludhiana said that almost all medicines in their shops have got over because the wholesale market for medicines is closed.


GS Chawla, General Secretary, Punjab Chemists’ Association, said that the situation will become very grim in the coming four-five days because transportation has been halted and no supply is taking place.

The condition of Ludhiana’s wholesale vegetable market is also appalling. Some retail vegetable sellers who reached there said that despite rates being fixed by the administration, vegetables are being sold at higher prices.

Earlier, potato was being sold for Rs 10 per kg but now, it is available for Rs 20 per kg. Similarly, the price of sweet peas has reached Rs 40 per kg.

A retail vegetable trader said, “All vegetables have become costlier. When we are buying expensive vegetables, how can we sell it to customers at cheap rates? We have to save something for ourselves too. People are not ready to sell vegetables cheaply in the wholesale market.”

In Amritsar, the wholesale vegetable market is staying open from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. but there are lots of crowds in the market since it is open for just three hours. 

The Amritsar Vegetable Market Association said that if the market remains open for five hours, there will be fewer crowds. This will not only stop black-marketing but social distancing will also be carried out properly. The Association said that it is getting ready to speak to the administration in this regard.

Meanwhile, releasing new data, the Health Ministry informed that the number of coronavirus patients in the country has increased to 873. While 79 people have been discharged so far, 19 have died. The Health Ministry also said that 149 new cases have come to light in the past 24 hours.

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