AP CM Orders Sale of Essential Commodities at Lower Prices
Rice, tur dal, palm oil and wheat flour to be supplied through public distribution channels.
Vijayawada: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to make essential commodities, including rice, tur dal, palm oil and wheat flour, available at subsidised prices so as to provide relief to consumers ahead of the Diwali festival.
During a review meeting he held with civil supplies officials, the chief minister ordered the expansion of the Dharani brand fine and super fine rice sales beyond Rythu Bazaars to municipalities and mandal headquarters. Officials, he said, must supply the rice through mobile vehicles to ensure wider access to consumers.
Fine rice would be sold at Rs 49 per kg and super fine rice at Rs 50 per kg through this initiative.
Officials informed the CM that discussions were under way with rice millers and wholesale traders to curb rising prices in the open market. Representatives of the associations had agreed to make different varieties more affordable.
Millers, they said, agreed to sell BPT steam rice at Rs 66 per kg and regular steam rice at a maximum of Rs 47 per kg.
Naidu directed the officials to ensure the availability of quality rice under the Dharani brand while keeping the prices of other varieties under control. He also called for stepped-up surveillance at inter-state border check posts and toll gates to prevent the illegal transportation of paddy to neighbouring states.
Officials, he said, should examine the possibility of reducing the market cess burden on paddy and rice.
The CM directed the department to supply one kg of tur dal every month to ration cardholders through the PDS at Rs 100 per kg. With tur dal prices ranging from Rs 170 to Rs 200 per kg in the open market, he stressed the need for governmental intervention to ease the burden on households.
He also called for the supply of palm oil through ration shops at Rs 125 per litre and wheat flour at Rs 25 per kg. All three commodities must be made available through ration depots before Deepavali, he said.
Reviewing onion prices, officials informed him that onions were being sold at Rs 35 per kg at Rythu Bazaars under the market intervention scheme. Another 800 metric tonnes of onions would be procured and supplied to consumers in the coming days.
Fresh onion arrivals from the Kurnool region were also expected to improve availability and help bring down prices.
Naidu wanted officials to continuously monitor supplies and intervene wherever necessary to protect consumers from price fluctuations.
Officials estimated that the measures to control essential commodity prices would cost the government around Rs 100 crore a month. Responding to this, Naidu said providing relief to people from rising prices must remain a priority.
