ADILABAD: The people of Adilabad are shelling huge amounts for essentials as the district administration’s special teams failed to monitor the prices at supermarkets and Kirana shops. The teams, formed under the district Civil Supplies Officer to specifically watch the prices of essential commodities, successfully controlled the rates at vegetable markets, but could not do so at supermarkets and kirana shops.
With 75 per cent of the town marked as containment zones and all roads barricaded, people are forced to crowd a select few shops. Taking advantage of this, these shops hiked prices of almost all groceries. For instance, green gram, which cost Rs 75 kg last month, is now being sold for Rs 140, Rameshwar, a resident, said. Similarly, a one-litre pouch of groundnut oil costs Rs 145 against the earlier Rs 130.
A Kirana shop owner said he was unable to stock up his shop because wholesale stores were shut. Meanwhile, the special teams compared the prices of different items: a kilo of green gram, which cost Rs 60, was selling for Rs 130; a litre of edible shot up to Rs 88 from Rs 80; red chilli, costs Rs 220 a kg from Rs 190. A similar situation was reported at Nirmal, Kumarambheem Asifabad and Mancherial districts.