CM reviews prices of essential commodities

Hyderabad, August 30 : Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy will request the Government of India to extend the last date for ceding of bank accounts, Aadhar Numbers with LPG connections for availing subsidy by the consumers. August 31st (Saturday) is the last day for ceding of bank accounts and Aadhar numbers for availing LPG subsidy in 5 districts of Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, East Godavari, Chittoor and Anantapur. So far only 48 per cent consumers were ceded.

The Chief Minister on Friday reviewed the measures being taken up to control the prices of essential commodities with Ministers and officials at Secretariat. He has directed the Food & Civil Supplies, Marketing, Agriculture and other related departments to go in for effective Market Intervention and control the prices of essential commodities particularly rice and onions. He also asked the Civil Supplies Department to ensure effective distribution of nine essential commodities at Rs 185 to 2.25 crore card holders in the State under Amma Hastham. Now the open market price of these commodities is Rs 306. He also asked the Vigilance and Enforcement department to go in for strict inspection and ensure quality supply of Amma Hastham commodities to the consumers.

Agriculture Minister Kanna Lakshminarayana, Marketing Minister Mukesh Goud, Chief Secretary Dr P.K.Mohanty, Commissioner Civil Supplies Sunil Sharma, Principal Secretary (Agriculture and Marketing) D Srinivasulu, Principal Secretary (Finance) Dr P V Ramesh, Director General (Vigilance & Enforcement) R P Thakur and other officials attended the meeting.

The Chief Minister will also write to Government of India not to reduce the rice mill levy percentage from the existing 75 per cent to 25 per cent and to retain the same at 75 per cent. This will adversely affect the farmers and may deny them the remunerative price. Besides, because of this, the millers would not have adequate godown space to procure and store the excess paddy. He also asked the Civil Supplies Department to speed up the introduction of e-pass machines in fair price shops in six districts and the officials informed that the process is in final stage.

Officials said that soon outlets would be opened at 45,000 fair price shops for 8.5 crs consumers and many other commodities including cosmetics would be made available at reasonable prices. This network sales to consumers have been taken up as nowhere in the world. Officials explained the various measures taken to control prices like Market Intervention measures by sale of 1,10,504 quintals of superfine preferred varieties of rice by millers through 1275 Rythu Bazars, Rice Mill Points and Designated centres at Rs.30 per kg. Price intervention is continuously being monitored.

Strict enforcement is being done on the conditions of the license and stock limits. They said that cases are being booked against the dealers who store more than the limits prescribed for confiscation of the stocks and cancellation of licenses. Officials informed that the rice millers have in principle agreed to supply superfine preferred varieties of rice to the Civil Supplies Corporation at negotiated prices up to 1 per cent of the quantity of rice procured for supply at less than market rates to the consumers. 50,000 MTs will be sold to stabilise the prices. Seized commodities are being released through interim disposal to ensure adequate availability of the product in the market.

Under Market Intervention scheme, Onions procured from the wholesale market of Mahabub Mansion Market, Malakpet and made available a quantity of 1507.73 quintals of Onions to the consumers through 9 Rythu Bazars and mobile vans in Hyderabad since 23.7.2013. Regional Joint Director of Marketing, Kadapa has been instructed to procure onions from the Farm Producing Organisations (FPOs) of Kurnool directly and supply to the districts duly obtaining the day to day requirement from the Assistant Directors, Marketing and to supply quality onions as per the demand. So far in the entire State, under market intervention scheme, 3319.31 quintals of Onions were sold through Rythu Bazars in the State at an average price of Rs.34 per kg. Commissioner, Marketing may like to inform the latest position on market intervention purchases and supplies and the measures proposed to be taken by him for controlling the prices of Onions and vegetables.

Officials informed that a comparative study shows that open market price of superfine rice in Hyderabad is far less than what is prevailing in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai. However, the price of superfine rice is higher compared to last year, but the farmer is getting equally higher price benefitting them equally. INN