The Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department of Odisha has intensified enforcement by conducting raids in various districts to control the recent spike in vegetable prices and ensure an uninterrupted supply chain.
Following complaints of sharp price hikes over the past few days, Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh directed the department’s Marketing Intelligence wing to carry out strict inspections in major markets across the state.
Unseasonal rains this year severely damaged local seasonal crops in many parts of Odisha, forcing the state to depend heavily on supplies from Jharkhand, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. This dependency triggered a noticeable increase in retail prices. However, with some local produce now gradually entering the markets, a marginal decline in vegetable prices has already begun.
The department has assured the public that a substantial quantity of fresh local seasonal vegetables will reach markets within the next two weeks, which is expected to bring prices down further.
Officials emphasised that the supply chain remains smooth and adequate measures are in place to ensure consumers get vegetables at reasonable rates.
