Kolkata's upmarket Ballygunge resident Amita Mukherjee just brought home a mammoth Hilsa shelling out Rs 3,500.

 

Kolkata's upmarket Ballygunge resident Amita Mukherjee just brought home a mammoth Hilsa shelling out Rs 3,500. "What to do? My family wants crisp Hilsa fries with Khichdi in this weather. As Bengalis it's a gastronomic ritual during the rains that we have to abide by. But the pocket pinch is really high," rues Mukherjee.

With the interim govt in Bangladesh banning the export of Hilsa from the Padma river to India, fish sellers back home are being forced to either import it illegally or sell the limited frozen stock at skyrocketing prices to cater to the ongoing festive demand. In the National Capital, a kg of Bangladeshi Hilsa is selling for Rs 3,000. Subsequently, restaurateurs are contemplating to hike up the rates of their festive menus that may cause deeper holes in the customers' pockets.

A fish shop owner at Delhi's CR Park Market 1, who didn't want to be identified, said he and many others are getting it illegally and selling it at Rs 3,000 per kg. "Durga Puja is coming, and Bengali customers want Hilsa. We have to cater to their demands," he said.

Source : Times of India