Bhubaneswar: Food supplies and consumer welfare minister Krushna Chandra Patra on Tuesday said the govt has asked district collectors to crack down on traders engaged in unethical practices and black marketing to prevent malpractices in trading of essential commodities and to keep prices under control.
Replying to an adjournment motion discussion on price rise in the assembly, the minister said chief minister Mohan Majhi was proactively involved in taking initiatives to resolve any problem and gave example of how Majhi met his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee to sort out transport of potato from the neighbouring state.
Amid criticism from the opposition, Patra said the rising prices of certain commodities is not a state-specific problem, adding the prices depend on prices in other parts of the country and supply chain. The minister said unfavourable weather, import of lentils was 10% to 12% less in the country this time leading to rise in prices, he said.
The minister said the district collectors have been told to hold regular meetings with local traders and keep a close watch on prices of rice, dal, oil, potato and onion. The food supplies and consumer welfare department has increased enforcement activities to ensure there is no hoarding and price escalation by the traders, he said.
Earlier, BJD and Congress members criticided the govt over rising prices and had alleged the govt had not been doing enough. BJD MLA and former minister Niranjan Pujari said the govt had no plan in place to deal with the crisis. BJD members Ganeswar Behera and Byomakesh Ray also raised the issue and said the past govt led had taken more pro-active steps.

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