The Union Minister said that the Provisions of Essential Commodities Act to be enforced by States if any Miller, Wholesaler or Retailer etc tries to take undue advantage of the Covid situation and hoards the essential commodities.
Union Minister was reviewing the provisions for keeping the prices of essential commodities in check in the States/UTs.
It may be noted that Department of Consumer Affairs collects data about prices from 157 centres of 34 states/UTs. The States/UTs are expected to monitor the prices of all 22 essential Commodities, especially pulses, oilseeds, vegetables and milk and to look for early signs of any unusual price rise so that timely interventions can be made to ensure that these food items are provided at affordable prices to consumers.
It may also be noted that Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs had also taken meeting day before yesterday with Principal secretaries of states to tell them about the need to maintain the prices of Essential Commodities at fair levels. DoCA also directed all the Stockholders like Millers, traders, importers etc. to declare the stocks of pulses and that the same may be verified by the State/ UTs Governments.
Recently, Ministry of Commerce had changed it’s import policy for pulses to ease supply of the same The Minister said that advance planning be done by all concerned to ensure that no shortage of any essential commodity emerges at any time.
The States/UTs were also requested to monitor the prices of pulses on weekly basis. An online datasheet was also shared with States/UTs to fill the details of millers, wholesalers, importers etc. and the stocks of pulses held by them. It is to be noted that the pulse producing States/UTs were also requested to facilitate procurement as sustained procurement would incentivize farmers to cultivate pulses on a long-term basis.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
