Hyderabad|India|February'2010: The Chief Minister asked the Civil Supplies Department and Markfed to keep an eye on prices of essential commodities such as onion, pulses, palm oil, tamarind chillies and superfine rice and ensure that these essential commodities are available at reasonable and affordable prices at Rythu Bazaars and Civil Supplies counters throughout the State for which the government would provide all assistance. The departments should also ensure that these goods are of good quality and were made available in sufficient quantities at designated counters and Rythu Bazaars, he directed.

Mr Rosaiah will also be participating in the Chief Minister's conference convened by the Prime Minister in Delhi on the 6th of February. In this connection, he has discussed with the officials about the issues likely to be raised in the Delhi meet on the prices and steps initiated to control the prices. The meeting will discuss about further steps to be taken by the States and Centre to contain the prices of essential commodities. The meeting will discuss most important matters among other things like imposition and implementation of stock holding limits on essential commodities and enforcement of the provisions of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

The Chief Secretary Mr S V Prasad who attended the first annual conference of Chief Secretaries at Delhi briefed the Chief Minister about the outcome of the meeting. He told the Chief Minister that the Government of India wants the State Government to devise strategies to boost food production, tackle shortages of essential items and further strengthen the public distribution system. The Prime Minister wanted the productivity of major crops to be improved and appreciated the efforts of Andhra Pradesh Government in this regard. The Chief Minister directed the Chief Secretary to continuously oversee the monitoring activities of the officials of the Civil Supplies to control the prices of essential commodities.

The Chief Minister K. Rosaiah said that there is possibility to further reduce the prices of essential commodities like rice, red gram etc., by market intervention schemes and if need be by importing few of these items like sugar and releasing to the market at reasonable prices. He gave instructions to the Civil Supplies, Markfed and other departments in this regard. The Government will also assist these agencies and sanction funds for them to procure the essential commodities.

The Chief Minister, who had a brief interaction over telephone on this issue with the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Minister Jupalli Krishna Rao, said he was sure that the prices of toor dal and other pulses, rice and cooking oil will further come down with the arrivals of new crop.

The Commissioner informed the Chief Minister that millers and the traders in paddy, rice, pulses, edible oilseeds, edible oils and sugar, have been brought under the licensing system and stock limits. Intensive inspections of mills and traders’ premises are being conducted to unearth the hoarded stocks of essential commodities in contravention of the stock limits prescribed and to seize them and release on interim disposal for its availability in the open market within the State at affordable prices. Restrictions on the inter-State movement of paddy and raw rice have also been imposed.

The Chief Minister was explained that integrated check-posts have been strengthened and all the border districts have been provided with 5 mobile vans each (in all 40 mobile vans in the State) to vigorously check the unauthorized movement of paddy and raw rice to places outside the State. Regular and surprise checks are being conducted on the rice millers and traders in the essential commodities to unearth the hoarded stocks. Besides the regular authorized enforcement officials, task forces with the officials of the Civil Supplies/Revenue, Commercial Taxes, Legal Metrology and Vigilance & Enforcement have been constituted to verify the business premises of the millers and dealers to unearth the hoarded stocks and book the cases for violation of the provisions of the Control Orders. An incentive award scheme has been introduced providing an incentive cash award to the informants who furnish information about hoarding, black-marketing etc. of food-grains.

Toll free telephones No. 18004252977 and 18004250082 provided in the Commissionerate of Civil Supplies to receive the complaints and to send them online to the Collectors for enquiry and redressal of the grievance. A Task Force at the State Level has been constituted with the Senior Officials of the Civil Supplies Department to attend to enquiries and take prompt action against the erring dealers.

To encourage the farmers to bring more area under cultivation of Red gram which is the staple pulse in the State, the State Government has increased the MSP payable to the farmers for Red gram to Rs.3500/- per qtl. against Rs.2300/- per qtl. fixed by the Government of India, the Chief Minister said.

Reachout's News Bureau
February' 2010