The deadlock between the government and the traders over prices of mutton continues even as one week has passed since the two held a meeting last Saturday in order to bring an end to three months long row which has caused a shortage of meat in Kashmir markets.
Highly placed sources told the Greater Kashmir that the Divisional Administration was firm on “not showing any leniency” to the mutton dealers, who have rejected the government-proposed rate of Rs 515 per kg for mutton.
There is acute shortage of mutton in the markets across Kashmir for the last several weeks leaving consumers high and dry. The issue around prices turned contentious when the rate was fixed at Rs 480 per kg in a meeting held in October last year between representatives of mutton dealers, officials from the departments of Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCSCA) and Sheep Husbandry along with the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Pandurang K Pole. This was the first annual price fixation committee meeting held after four years since 2016 to fix the mutton prices but had led to a widespread disagreement by the mutton trading fraternity which has been selling mutton at Rs 600 per kg for almost the last one year.
Meanwhile, as the ongoing “strike” of mutton retailers continues, causing a crisis due to unavailability of mutton, the government has warned the dealers. In notifications pasted outside mutton shops on Saturday, Director FCSCA has asked the mutton retailers to either end the “illegal strike” and resume their business in next two days or else face action.
It may be mentioned that while Divisional Commissioner Kashmir in the last meeting with representatives of mutton dealers and retailers had proposed a price of Rs 515 per kg of mutton, the latter had rejected the same citing reasons that it would cause huge losses to them.
General Secretary, All Kashmir Wholesale Mutton Dealers Association, Mehraj-u-din Ganai said the government was resorting to “arm twisting” by not taking into consideration that “30,000 families involved in the mutton trade have been affected by the issue around prices”. Ganai said the traders are willing to once again hold deliberations with the officials to end the logjam adding that “ground realities must be taken into consideration while fixing prices”.
To mention, a “fact-finding” committee led by Kashmir Economic Alliance after visiting livestock mandis in Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan had submitted a report to FCSCA department and Divisional Administration saying that procurement cost for A-grade mutton for them was Rs 518 per kg. Another two-member official team formed by the administration had said that procurement price for mutton was Rs 517 per kg.
When contacted, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Pandurang K Pole said the government will not allow “overpricing of mutton” by the dealers. Pole said he has asked officials to ensure strict enforcement to ensure that mutton retailers are back to business soon and selling mutton at government notified rates.
“We have to think in the larger interest of the common people and cannot be just taking into consideration only one side of the issue. The prices have to be fixed but we must ensure that the notified rates of mutton are in accordance with the technical report submitted by our team that visited mandis outside the Valley,” Pole said.