Centre directs Nafed, NCCF to get tomato from AP, K'taka, Maharashtra for sale at key retail outlets
New Delhi (PTI): The Centre on Wednesday directed cooperatives Nafed and NCCF to procure tomatoes from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra for distribution in major consumption centres, where retail prices have recorded maximum increase in the last one month.
The stocks of tomato will be distributed through retail outlets at discounted prices to the consumers in Delhi-NCR region from July 14, the Consumer Affairs Ministry said in a statement.
Retail prices of tomatoes have soared up to Rs 200 per kg in several parts of the country due to supply disruption caused by heavy rains in the country.
National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers Federation (NCCF) will undertake the procurement of tomatoes.
According to the Ministry, the targeted centres for release of tomatoes have been identified on the basis of absolute increase in retail prices over the past one month in centres where prevailing prices are above the all-India average.
Key consumption centres in states having higher concentration of the identified centres will be further selected for the intervention, it said.
The ministry mentioned that the periods during July-August and October-November are generally the lean production months for tomatoes.
"July coinciding with the monsoon season, adds to challenges related to distribution and increased transit losses adding to price rise," it said.
Currently, the supplies coming to markets in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and some other states are mostly from Maharashtra especially Satara, Narayangaon, and Nashik, which is expected to last till this month-end, it said.
Madanapalle (Chittoor) in Andhra Pradesh also has continued arrivals in reasonable quantities. The arrivals in Delhi-NCR are mainly from Himachal Pradesh and some quantity comes from Kolar in Karnataka, it added.
The ministry said the new crop arrivals are expected soon from Nashik district.
Furthermore, in August, additional supply is expected to come from the Narayangaon and Aurangabad belt. Madhya Pradesh arrivals are also expected to start.
"Prices are anticipated to cool down in the near future, accordingly," the ministry noted.
Tomato is produced almost in all the states in India, though in varying quantities. Maximum production is in southern and western regions of India, contributing 56-58 per cent of all-India production.
Southern and Western regions being surplus states, feed to other markets depending on production seasons. The production seasons are also different across regions. The peak harvesting season occurs from December to February.
The cycle of planting and harvesting seasons and variation across regions are primarily responsible for price seasonality in tomatoes, it said.
Apart from the normal price seasonality, temporary supply chain disruptions and crop damage due to adverse weather conditions etc. often lead to sudden spikes in prices, it added.
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Over 400 police personnel fined by railway for travelling without tickets between Ghaziabad, Kanpur
New Delhi, Oct 18: The Prayagraj railway division has fined more than 400 police personnel for travelling without tickets on several mail and express trains in the last month and a half at various places between Ghaziabad and Kanpur, officials said.
The traffic officers conducting these special drives found most of the police personnel travelling without tickets in air-conditioned coaches and pantry cars, causing inconvenience to passengers.
Shashi Kant Tripathi, Chief Public Relations Officer, North Central Railway, said the Indian Railways regularly conducts drives to check unauthorised travellers.
"Without-ticket travellers not only cause inconvenience to passengers but also financial loss to the railway. Hence, we have adopted strict measures to check unauthorised travelling of every individual and we have been quite successful in our efforts," Tripathi said.
Santosh Kumar, zonal secretary of the Indian Railway Ticket Checking Staff Organisation, NCR zone, said many police personnel misuse their official position, enter air-conditioned coaches and lie down on empty berths,
"They do not vacate the berths for authorised passengers and even threaten them as well as railway officials," Kumar said.
He said the special drive has received a positive feedback from passengers who have appreciated the initiative and cooperated with railway officials. The drive has been led by Amit Sudarshan, Deputy Chief Traffic Manager, and assisted by Assistant Traffic Manager Dinesh Kapil and other officers.
One of the railway officials said many of these police personnel threatened the traffic officers and ticket examiners of dire consequences if they are fined.
"Though the higher-ups in the Uttar Pradesh police department have issued cautionary letters and circulars asking police personnel not to travel on trains without tickets, it seems that these letters have had little impact on them," another railway official said.
"These police personnel think that no one will report to the higher-ups about their misconduct and so they can carry on with their activities," he added.
According to Kumar, initially these police personnel tried to intimidate commercial officers but when the latter started recording their activities on the phone and became adamant to issue challans as well as report their wrongdoings to their departments, they started pleading for mercy.
"Many of them fled from one coach to another to skip the fine," Kumar said.
According to the railway officials, the drive will be carried on throughout the festive season so that authorised passengers do not suffer.
"Even after the festivals, we will conduct surprise checks occasionally to curb such activities," a railway official said.
