AGARTALA, June 15 (TIWN): Along with price hike crisis of commodities might also hit the state as the supply of perishable goods from Bangladesh is comparatively less in the state. Talking to TIWN, Import-Export secretary Habool Biswas said that these days the supply of goods in the state is less. However, this can be attributed due to the lack of labourers due to Ramzan period at Bangladesh, added Biswas. He further said that the food supply is less but it will gain speed soon. All the major markets of Tripura depend on the import of fish from Bangladesh, so there is possibility that the state might face the crisis of fish in the state. Already reports have come from several markets of the state that the fish supply is less due to irregularity in supply of goods from Bangladesh.The Akhaura land custom station has been mainly dealing with import business from Bangladesh for catering the domestic need of fish, edible items, melamine and toiletries, ready-made garments and stones chips in Tripura, but a drop in supply of goods for formal trade will badly affect the state markets.

Along with vegetables the prices of fruits have also gone high over the past month, retail prices of onion have shot up almost from Rs. 40 per kg to 80-85 per kg in the State. Besides, the wholesale prices of onions have also risen over the same period across the state.

Besides, the price of other vegetables like Brinjal are selling at Rs. 80, Chili at Rs. 300 per Kg and many other. The government should keep a strict vigil over the rise in the prices, said another man.

The hikes in the prices of vegetables along with fruits have upset the budgets of middle and lower class families, particularly affecting those below the poverty line. The rise in prices of vegetables has created great dissatisfaction among the public.

Price hike has created a state of irregularity among the traders as Akhaura land port as it is considered as one of the State's most busy and used station for in ward and outward trade with the neighbouring Bangladesh.

Sources in the Agartala Export-Import Association said that the border trade with Bangladesh along erstwhile Akhaura check-post had severely hit since the devolution of the Indian rupee vs. Dollar price. The situation was further aggravated with the advent of political turmoil in Bangladesh as daily import from Bangladesh came down from the average of Rs. 1.5 crore to Rs. 15-20 lakh.

According to the experts there is lots of possibility to take the international trade policy. International trade between India and Bangladesh started from 1995-96. Before international trade it was illegal trade. At present there are eight land custom stations in Tripura. These are Agartala, Sonamura, Belonia, Muhuripur, Khowai, Dhalaighat, Manughat, and Raghnaghat.