New Delhi (Sputnik): Widespread panic has hit India, with many claiming that the country is yet to see the peak of the coronavirus’ spread, which is currently at stage two of local transmission. As a result, people are lining up outside grocery stores and hoarding essential commodities in preparation for a possible lockdown.
Prominent markets in Delhi that sell vegetables and other essential goods are facing scarce a supply of products, with retailers accusing wholesale suppliers of manipulation in the time of the coronavirus crisis.
Grocery sellers say that their shops have turned empty as wholesalers have choked the supply of vegetables, releasing it gradually with an increase in price. This has put the burden on the retail sellers, who have exhausted their stocks as people have resorted to panic hoarding vegetables.
Prices on vegetables and fruits (potatoes, onion, papaya, etc.) also jumped by at least 40 percent in the last three days alone.
The situation was the same in other markets in Delhi as well.
On Thursday evening, in his address to the nation, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that there is ample supply of essential goods in the country and that people should not panic.
“Do not indulge in panic buying. India has enough food and ration supplies”, he said.
While the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), the apex body of the business community in the country, has maintained that no trade association has decided to close the markets in the wake of coronavirus, it did not rule out the possibility of such a decision in consultation with government.
While the current situation has already impacted the earnings of daily wage earners, the increase in prices on commodities and shutting down of essential commodity markets would deliver a major blow to the daily wagers, who are already bearing the brunt of the lack of supplies and inflation in the country.
Daily wage earners operate in the informal economy, which comprises 90 percent of the total economy. There are around 195 million wage earners, 62 percent (i.e. 121 million) are employed as casual workers in India. Government data suggests that despite an increase in employment in the organised sector, many jobs are casual or informal. In India, daily wagers survive on what they earn on a day-to-day basis.
India currently has 171 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country, while four patients have lost their lives to the infection. The country has scaled up its measures, grounding all international flights to contain the spread. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a one-day “Janata Curfew” on Sunday from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm (IST) as a combat measure to tackle the coronavirus.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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