The abrupt and abnormal rise in prices of day-to-day essential food items have cornered the poorer section of the society. Most of the jute mills and factories are closed in Hooghly district, thousands of jobless mill workers and their families, daily wagers, rikshaw van pullers, house maids, helpers and other poorer section of the society have been battered by the abrupt and abnormal hike in the daily food items and commodities.

“The mills and factories are closed, we have no substitute means of earning. We get free rice and wheat from the ration shop but we need potatoes, onions and vegetables to have a complete meal. The abrupt hike in the prices of essential food items have forced us to survive on cooked rice with salt and chapatis with home-made pickles.

However, we see a hope of ray since the state chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced the opening of more Sufal Bangla outlets from where we can avail potatoes, onions and vegetables at a much cheaper rate in comparison to normal market price. It is our earnest demand to set up good numbers of sufal Bangla outlets in the entire stretch of jute mill areas – Bansberia-Chandannagar- Bhadreswar-Chapdani- Serampore-Rishra-Hindmotor,” said some of those most affected.

Rickshaw and van pullers and daily wagers said, we want that our Didimoni (the state chief minister Mamata Banerjee) should start Maa Canteen once again. At this time of great crisis at least we can have a complete meal in the afternoon. The president of All Bengal Citizens Forum, Mr Sailen Parbat, submitted a memorandum at the district magistrate office pressing the demand for opening at least 25 Sufal Bangla outlets in the district.

Mr Parbat said, previously in a similar situation only two Sufal Bangla outlets were allotted in the entire district, at Bansberia and Chinsurah while rest of the district remained deprived of the benefits of Sufal Bangla outlets. Hence 25 Sufal Bangla outlets may be equally distributed in the entire district. Mr Parbat added: “We demand that the enforcement branch should promptly step in to keep a check on the abnormal prices of potatoes, vegetables and other essential commodities.”