Haryana forms teams to check prices and hoarding of essential commodities

CHANDIGARH: Haryana Government has constituted ‘special teams’ of Food, Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department and District Administration, to keep a check on black marketing, hoarding, and price inflation of essential commodities.

Sharing more information in this regard, a spokesman of Food, Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department said that the rate capping of 25 essential commodities including pulses, sugar, salt, wheat, flour, potatoes and onions has been done by all the Deputy Commissioners in their respective districts and every shopkeeper has been strictly directed not to sell any product above the capped rate.

Apart from this, the shopkeepers have been directed to display the rate list outside their shops, so that no overcharging is done. While, it should also be ensured that the face masks and hand sanitizers should not be sold above MRPs.

The spokesman said that directions have also been issued for ensuring the adequate availability of mustard oil, pulses and other essential items in the State, for this, the department officers are in regular contact with NAFED and the demand of the required stock for pulses and mustard oil has been sent to NAFED and the same will be received soon. He informed that the supply and availability of all essential items is being ensured through wholesalers.

He informed that there is no shortage of LPG in the State and gas agencies are ensuring the supply at the doorstep of consumers. Similarly, petrol and diesel are also available in sufficient volume. He said that the special teams have presently conducted the checking of 378 wholesale drug dealers and 5197 retail drug dealers in the State. During the checking, 277 challans and 13 criminal cases have been registered due to irregularities found by the wholesalers and retailers.

The spokesman said that the department has also launched a wide publicity and dissemination campaign to ensure that consumers are not overcharged for essential commodities. To ensure that there is no undue increase in wholesale and grocery rates of essential commodities and to stop profiteering and hoarding, several steps are being taken by the State Government.

During the review meeting with the Central Government, the Centre has praised the steps taken by the State Government and other states have been asked to emulate the work done by Haryana.

The spokesman said that under the Public Distribution System, wheat, fortified flour, sugar, mustard oil are being distributed free of cost to consumers during the month of April. In some districts, 80 to 85 percent of the distribution of wheat has been done.

Soon, 2880 metric tonnes of pulses per month will be made available by the Central Government to all the eligible 27 lakh families covered under Antyodaya Anna Yojana, BPL and Other Priority Households (OPH) for distribution in April, May and June.

Apart from this, five kg additional wheat per member per month will be made available free of cost by the Government of India for April, May and June month. Thus, during this period, double ration will be made available to the consumers.