Shillong (Meghalaya), Sept 14: The Voice of People Party (VPP) today, Sept 13, organized a one-day sit -in protest at Madan Malki, here to protest against the government’s lack of attention to the increase in the price of essential commodities in the state.
Speaking to reporters, the President of the VPP & Nongkrem MLA , Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit, said that VPP’s decision to hold a sit -in protest was taken after the party did not get an opportunity to discuss the issue with the government which has affected the residents in the state, especially the economically backward classes.
“As a party, we want to know from the government why the state has to face such an alarming increase in prices of essential commodities,” he said.
He added that the government may attribute the increase in the price of essential goods due to absence of railway connectivity but that may not be the sole reason.
“The increase in price is also due to mushrooming of toll gates along the highway and the government has failed to take any measures to curb this,” he said.
Basaiawmoit, said that the price of agricultural produce is nominal when the farmers sell the products, but these same agricultural products are priced exorbitantly when it’s reaches the consumers.
He said that the government is fixing the rates but has failed to take action to monitor the prices and find out if they are actually sold at much higher rates.
