Sufal Bangla initiative helped stabilise vegetable prices during Durga Puja festival Officials

Kolkata, Oct 20 (PTI) The West Bengal government's Sufal Bangla direct intervention initiative effectively stabilised vegetable prices during the Durga Puja festival, officials said on Sunday.
    According to a statement by the agricultural marketing department, the Sufal Bangla initiative has contributed to lower vegetable prices and increased market supply. The department anticipated that these measures will help maintain price stability even after the festival.
    Vegetable prices have decreased by 15-20 per cent across the state, particularly onions, tomatoes, and green chilies, officials added.
    A task force, which includes members from traders' forums, municipal and district officials and enforcement agencies, is conducting regular market inspections to ensure price stability.
    Taskforce member Rabindranath Kole noted, "These measures have effectively controlled commodity prices during and after Puja. We will continue this monitoring in the future."
    The state's cold storage facilities currently hold 1.9 million metric tons of potatoes, which is deemed sufficient until the new crop arrives. Retail prices remain stable at Rs 30-32 in Kolkata markets and Rs 26-27 in other districts.
    Additionally, the Sufal Bangla initiative has expanded distribution, setting up over 100 special sales centres alongside the existing 517 stalls, they said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)