Times are tough for tomato lovers. The price for the red fruit hit Rs 100/kg recently. And in Indore, armed security personnel guarded a consignment of tomatoes as there is a scramble to procure whatever is available and the risk of theft has increased. But the Congress Party seems to have figured out a way to bypass this particular conundrum and earn some brownie points with voters too.
Now, we have a ‘State Bank of Tomato’ in Lucknow.
Needless to say, this stunt is actually a mark of protest against the soaring price of tomatoes. However, it has also managed to attract the attention of locals. Lucknow residents can now get an interest on their ‘deposits’ at the State Bank of Tomato and they can also avail the loan facility similar to an actual bank.
What inspired them to launch the initiative?
Member of the UP Congress Committee Anshu Awasthi told ScoopWhoop News, “People are angry about the inflated prices of tomatoes. Most people can no longer afford it. We wanted to come up with a way to ensure that people don’t suffer.”
How does it work?
Through the initiative, launched by the UP Congress Committee, people can deposit 1 kg tomatoes and then 2 kgs six months later. “We also have the facility for those who cannot afford to buy tomatoes. They can either pay through instalments or give us back the quantity they had taken on loan.” Awasthi said.
How long do they plan to continue?
Awasthi hopes that prices will come down soon. “We have asked people and they really hope that prices come down. We will continue with this effort till prices come down to Rs 50.”
The cost of tomatoes has skyrocketed in the last couple of weeks, as heavy rains in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and other tomato-growing states have caused some damage to the crop. Even the new harvest has not been able to reach the market in time due to transportation woes.
Feature image source: PTI