Stampede-like situation at tomato counters in Kadapa

KADAPA: As the price of tomatoes continues to hover around Rs 150 per kg in the retail market, a stampede-like situation prevailed at the Rythu Bazars in Kadapa on Tuesday. People reached early in morning and formed serpentine queues to buy tomatoes even before the gates could open and rushed in en masse to buy the highly sought vegetable.

Around two tonnes of tomatoes had arrived in Kadapa from tomato producing areas within Kadapa and other neighbouring districts to cater to the needs of the people. At a Rythu Bazar in Chinna Chowk in Kadapa, people made a beeline for almost two kilometres to purchase the tomatoes at a subsidised price.

Similar, chaotic scenes were witnessed at other Rythu Bazars in the city as people, mostly women and elderly, rushed to the counters set up by the State Government to sell tomatoes at a subisidsed price of Rs 50 per kg. The price of tomatoes breached Rs 100 per kg mark and continues to be sold at anywhere between Rs 120 and Rs 150 a kg in the retail market, leading to a heavy rush at the subsidised counters opened by the agricultural and marketing department officials in the Rythu Bazars.

Several people grew restive and picked up an argument with the estate officers over the scarcity of tomatoes. "Even though enough stocks of tomatoes are available in Rythu Bazaars in Kadapa, the officials are intentionally hoarding the supply of the priced vegetable. The State Government should streamline the distribution of subsidised tomatoes and make it accessible to the public,” said Ch Narayana Reddy, a consumer in Kadapa.

According to market officials, people started forming serpentine queues near subsidised tomato stalls at 5 am on Tuesday, after knowing the availability of the much sought after vegetable stock in the Rythu Bazaars. “The rush continues till evening as several people from nearby villages throng the Rythu Bazars to purchase tomatoes at subsidy counters. To control the situation, the estate officers at various Rythu Bazars in Kadapa sought protection from police. To prevent any untoward incidents, barricades have been erected at tomato counters at all rythu bazaars in the city,” said a senior official from the agriculture and marketing department.