Date:06/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/06/stories/2009010658210300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Striking domino effect on prices likely

K. Lakshmi

Vendors at Koyambedu wholesale market say only half the normal supply has been received

“Wholesale prices of most vegetables have risen by Rs.3
to Rs.5 a kg”

Photo: S. Thanthoni

GEARS OFF: Several trucks parked along the Grand Northern Trunk Road at Madhavaram on Monday owing to the ongoing indefinite strike by truck operators. —

CHENNAI: The price of essential commodities is likely to double in the coming days as their supply to the city has been affected by the ongoing indefinite strike of the truck operators.

Vendors at the Koyambedu wholesale vegetable market said the market had received only half the normal supply of 500 truckloads of vegetables in the early hours of Monday. The supply would be severely hit from Tuesday as the heavy vehicles transporting goods to the market had stopped plying since Monday.

The cost of staple vegetables is bound to escalate owing to the nationwide strike by the heavy vehicle operators since Sunday midnight.

V. R. Soundararajan, member of Market Management Committee at Koyambedu, said the wholesale prices of most vegetables had gone up by at least Rs.3 to Rs.5 a kg on Monday. The impact of lorry operators’ strike was felt in the market with vegetables such as tomato and green chillies, which were priced at Rs.10 a kg last week, were sold at Rs.15/kg on Monday.

Similarly, onions and beans were sold for Rs.20 and Rs.18 a kg respectively, which was Rs.2 more than last week. The prices are likely to soar as the demand is expected to increase from Tuesday, he said.

Many locally grown vegetables, such as brinjal and bitter gourd, are already priced high due to increase in transportation cost and less yields. The lorries strike has hiked the price of these vegetables from Rs.15/per kg to Rs.20/kg.

The retail prices of the vegetables were also higher by Rs.10/kg. Several shops witnessed a rush of customers to stock the vegetables fearing short supply in the coming days.

S. Murugesan, a retail shop owner in Anna Nagar, said most vegetables cost Rs.7-Rs.10 more a kg on Monday despite the city receiving supply from the other states. Each egg costs Rs.2.25 now. If the supply to the city is stopped, the cost would go up by 50 paise to Re.1 for each egg from Tuesday, he said.

Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangangalin Peravai Chennai district president A. M.Vikramaraja said the price hike of the essential commodities was inevitable as the traders had to hire more vehicles and bear double the cost to transport the goods. The traders now have to rely on smaller vehicles to transport their goods due to the lorry strike.

R.Sugumar, official spokesperson (Southern States) of All India Motor Transport Congress, said nearly 15,000 heavy vehicles had not plied in the city since Sunday midnight in deference to the nation-wide indefinite strike call. Some of the demands of the All India Motor Transport Congress include cut in diesel price by Rs.10 a litre and withdrawal of service tax. The strike of the truck operators would continue until the demands were met by the Central government, he said.