Ymbon dismisses VPP protest, cites practical reasons for price hike in Meghalaya

Shillong, Sept 13: Responding to protests led by the Voice of the People Party (VPP) over the rising cost of essential goods in Meghalaya, Food and Civil Supplies Minister, Comingone Ymbon, has dismissed the claims as politically motivated. He clarified that the price increases are due to logistical challenges, infrastructure limitations, and external factors like climate change, rather than any government mismanagement.

Addressing the media, Ymbon explained that Meghalaya is heavily dependent on imports for essential commodities, as the state is not a major producer of vegetables or meat. This dependency drives up costs. “We in Meghalaya depend on states like Maharashtra and Bihar for onions,” Ymbon noted, adding that “the lack of railways and reliance on road transport increases transportation costs, and that also leads to price rises.”

One major factor affecting prices is the recent restriction on heavy vehicles over 4 metric tons from crossing the Umiam Bridge. Trucks carrying vegetables and other essentials from Assam now have to take a longer route via Mawryngkneng, increasing transportation costs from ₹100 to ₹200 for deliveries to Shillong. This logistical challenge, Ymbon said, has contributed to the higher prices observed in the state.

Ymbon also pointed out that Meghalaya’s lack of a railway system in most parts further exacerbates the situation. He cited the Mendipathar railway line in Garo Hills as an example of how rail transport can lower prices. “In Garo Hills, where we have a railway line, rice is cheaper by up to ₹13 compared to Shillong, where we rely on road transport,” he explained.

Addressing concerns about price discrepancies between Meghalaya and other states, Ymbon argued that the differences are not as substantial as critics claim. “We have the data. I think in other states, the prices are more or less the same. Maybe the difference is only 50 to 100 percent, but that is mostly for vegetables. There is no major difference in the rest of the essential commodities,” he clarified.

In response to allegations of price manipulation, Ymbon reassured the public that the government has put in place a price monitoring system to regulate the costs of essential goods. “The price might be slightly different in different localities. For example, wholesale markets like Barabazar have lower prices compared to retail shops. But all shops must display their prices on boards, and the price monitoring system ensures there’s no hoarding or black marketing,” Ymbon said.

The minister further emphasized that his department, along with District Commissioners, is actively overseeing the situation. “According to information from the department and all the district commissioners, they are doing a good job every day. The price is stable, and from the government, we are trying to work hard on this,” he stated. He also mentioned that “we’ve done 442 inspections so far in 2024,” and that the government remains vigilant in preventing hoarding and price manipulation.

To streamline the price-tracking process, Ymbon revealed that a centralized dashboard has been created to monitor the prices of essential commodities across various states. “There’s no need to send people physically to check prices. A centralized dashboard has been created by the ministry to monitor the prices of essential commodities in every state. We use this system to compare our prices with neighbouring states and ensure fairness,” he explained.

Ymbon assured the public that the government is doing everything it can to stabilize prices and protect consumers from unjustified price hikes, despite the various logistical challenges the state faces.

In addition, Commissioner and Secretary Food and Civil Supplies, Pravin Bakshi, gave an account of how the state employs different mechanisms to check Price Rise in the state and maintain uniformity. However, adding that the difference in some of the places is because the shops are supposed to charge a certain rate so some charge more amount and some charge less hence the difference.