Visakhapatnam: Despite checks, edible oil prices continue to soar
A signboard at an outlet says that each consumer can only buy three packets of oil; The price of the cooking oil was Rs.150 a litre in a store in the first week of March but now it has doubled
Visakhapatnam: The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has pushed the cost of the cooking oils, causing a burden among the lower income groups and the middle class.
Despite the officials concerned continuing with the raids and directing the traders not to sell the product at an exorbitant price, the ground reality appears to be quite different. Although the government announced that there is no need to increase the cost of the cooking oils, about 50 per cent of the oil cost had already gone up.
Meanwhile, a number of unbranded cooking oils have flooded the market. With a price variation of Rs 10 to Rs 20, these oils are being sold in several retail outlets as 'special offer'. As of now, there is no clarity on the quality standard of the product, whether such unbranded oils are safe to consume.
Based on the quantity consumed, each household may buy one to five litre cooking oil a month. For the meat eaters, the consumption is higher. Keeping the present scenario, there is an additional burden of Rs 200 to Rs 350 for the non-vegetarians.
The vigilance and enforcement along with legal metrology officials have been conducting raids at regular intervals. During the inspection, they ensure that the commodities are sold as per the MRP.
Before the Ukraine crisis, edible oils were sold below MRP in outlets and malls i.e., Rs 15 to Rs 40 lower than the MRP per litre. Earlier, the same brand used to be available in the market at Rs 140 to Rs 150. But now, a litre oil is being sold at Rs 190 to Rs 200, equal to the MRP. However, what needs to be checked is how come the edible oils (except a few top brands) are now being sold at MRP.
To put a check on the edible oil price, the focus should be on the oil manufacturing units. "At a time when the officials mentioned that efforts were made to ensure that the oil prices do not exceed the MRP, the cost has already increased over 50 per cent. Earlier, the oils were sold below the MRP. Now, the officials allow the traders to sell oils at MRP. This means that they have indirectly encouraged the traders to sell the oils at a high price," points out G Lakshmi, a homemaker at MVP Colony.
A little before the price hike, many consumers started buying edible oils in large quantities. To place a cap on this, some of the retail outlets have kept a signboard that each buyer can only purchase up to three packets of oil.
Before the oil cost becomes like Diwali crackers that are sold much lower than the MRP, the public demands the government's intervention to monitor the oil cost at the manufacturing level itself.