If the chief minister has said it, there is no chickening out. Two days after Mamata Banerjee promised to put chicken on every plate, a stall selling forest and animal resources development department products at Writers’ Buildings stocked up on frozen chicken. Each 500gm packet of dressed chicken was sold at Rs 75. Chicken prices have spiralled to Rs 170-180 in markets across the city over the past week. First-day sales at the government stalls were, however, not impressive. “Many people are sceptical about buying frozen products. Moreover, if we buy chicken from here, where do we keep it during office hours? Many of us travel long distances by train or bus. The chicken could get spoilt,” said Runa Das, a government employee. The response at a mobile outlet (picture left) in Esplanade was equally lukewarm. The van parked in front of Esplanade Metro station from 1pm to 3pm drew many curious onlookers but few customers. The government will also sell chicken at other markets across the city. Picture by Pradip Sanyal