A vegetable vendor in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh has hired bouncers to keep customers at bay when they come to buy tomatoes, whose price has increased massively over the past few days.
“I kept hearing about arguments over the tomato price among people. People at my shop too tried to haggle. So to put an end to the constant arguments, I decided to deploy bouncers in uniform at my cart,” Ajay Fauji told PTI.
Fauji, a Samajwadi Party worker, had earlier cut a tomato-shaped cake in Varanasi on the birthday of Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav.
Similar incidents of farmers taking serious steps to prevent tomato theft were reported in the state of Karnataka as well.
A farmer has lodged a police complaint alleging that tomatoes worth Rs 3 lakh have been stolen overnight from his farm in Hassan district, police said on Thursday.
The incident had been reported from Goni Somanahalli village near Halebeedu town in Hassan.
Farmer Dharani aka Somashekar lodged a complaint with Halebeedu police in this regard.
Police said that the thieves have taken away 90 boxes of tomatoes worth Rs 3 lakh – as the price of first quality tomato has crossed Rs 150 per kg.
The tomato was grown in two acres of land and Dharanit had decided to take the crop to Chikkamagalur market and sell it.
The farmers are forced to sleep at their farms and take turns guarding the crop ready to be harvested. The monsoon rains have made the situation worse for them. This scenario is commonly found in the south Karnataka districts of Kolar, Hassan where the crop is grown in large quantities.
(With excerpts from agencies)
