Imphal, August 31 2010: The Manipur Chamber of Commerce has become defunct and prices of goods are fixed by businessmen and traders in their own interests taking advantage of the defunct chamber.

In order to find means to control the free hand of businessmen and traders in fixing prices, a meeting of the state level price monitoring committee was held today at the office chamber of the state Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution minister, Y Erabot.

After the meeting which was the second since the revival of the committee, the minister said that earlier the prices of goods were fixed by the Manipur Chamber of Commerce but it has become defunct since underground outfits imposed a ban on Non-Manipuris being agents in procuring goodsfrom outside the state.

After the Chamber of Commerce became defunct, businessmen and traders are having a free hand in fixing prices of goods at their own interest and the prevailing law and order of the state promotes difficulties in fixing prices of goods, Erabot revealed.

Prices of rice, sugar, wheat and petroleum products like petrol, diesel and LPG are controlled by the Food Corporation of India (IFC) and Indian Oil Company (IOC) respectively.

Hence the prices of these items are also fixed by them.

While the prices of other goods are to be fixed by the state government it has not been done due to the prevailing law and order situation and the frequent bandhs, blockades along with a bad road communication system.

Erabot added, there was a standing order of the Supreme Court giving instructions to freight trucks in the northeastern region not to carry loads more than nine tonnes.

This is being obeyed in Assam and Nagaland.

It is also being enforced in the state which gives additional expenditure to the truckers as they have to transport goods over and over again which previously could have been loaded in one or two trips.

On the other hand, transportation of goods on NH 53 takes seven to eight days for one trip.

This has compelled a rise in freight charges.

For the state, the fare rate of oil tankers is now fixed at Rs 4,420 per day while that of FCI trucks transporting FCI items from Assam's Ramnagar to Sangaiporou godown at Rs 35,360 a trip.

Revised fare rates have been furnished to the authority of the FCI and IOC as they are the authority to pay the fare, said the minister adding that after getting a green signal from these authorities, the revised fare rates will be announced.

The Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution needs consultations with the state transport department in fixing the prices of goods.

Keeping this in mind, the meeting of the State Level Price Monitoring has Committee prepared a probable price list of goods and furnished it to the Transport Department for consideration price list, the minister said.

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