Vegetable prices shoot in Chennai amid TN lockdown, govt warns action

New Delhi : On May 23, vegetables were being sold at a very high price in several parts of Tamil Nadu tagging lockdown as the reason behind it. Chief Minister MK Stalin had announced an extension in lockdown just one day before the prices shot up.

Tamil Nadu, will extend the lockdown by a week until May 31, with stricter restrictions. The government announced that markets and shops would be allowed to stay open until 9 pm on both days of the weekend.

Some people shared their ordeal claiming that local shops in their areas were charging double and even more prices for the vegetables.

Reacting to the news, R Sakkarapani, Food and Civil Supplies Minister, warned that strict action would be taken against any vegetable shop owners or any traders who were raising prices. “We will not hesitate to take action against such traders under the Food Protection Act. We also hope traders too will cooperate and ensure such a situation does not arise,” the minister told reporters on Sunday.

It has been seen that despite warning, some of the vegetable sellers continued trading at a hiked price.