/ Kolkata gets a taste of Hilsa

The coveted Hilsa fish imported from Bangladesh through the formal route hit the retail markets in Kolkata today, nearly a week before the “Mahalaya” which marks the start of the countdown of the Durga Puja festival.
When contacted, Syed Anwar Maqsood, secretary of India’s Fish Importers Association, told The Daily Star that eight trucks containing a total of 54 tonnes of the fish crossed the Benapole-Petrapole border on Thursday and has reached the retail markets of Kolkata.
The fish packed in ice boxes were sorted overnight at wholesale markets before hitting local markets, he said.
“The fish in the packs weigh between 900g and 1.5kg,” said Kartick Chakraborty, secretary of Petrapole Clearing Agent Staff Welfare Association.
Maqsood said Hilsa weighing around 700-900g are selling in retail markets at Rs 1,000 per kilo and those of one kg and above are priced at Rs 1,400 to Rs 1,600 a kg. The fish weighing around 1.5 kg sold for about Rs 1,800 a kg.
The price of Hilsa in Delhi and other Indian cities with sizable Bengali population, is likely to be higher than in Kolkata because of the freight factor, Maqsood said.