State Food Minister P Venkataramanan said that the State government was monitoring the prices of 41 commodities on a daily basis and taking steps to ensure that those commodities were available in the market without any shortage.
Chennai:Blaming the Iran war and the hike in prices of petrol and diesel for triggering and extraordinary cost escalation of essential commodities,State Food Minister P Venkataramanan said that the State government was monitoring the prices of 41 commodities on a daily basis and taking steps to ensure that those commodities were available in the market without any shortage.
He was replying to a call attention motion moved by the leader of the opposition Udhayanihi Stalin in the State Assembly on the rise in prices of essential commodities on Friday. Udhayaidhi Stalin said the prices of rice, pulses, oil and sugar have increased manifold in the last three months, affecting the people severely.
He recalled former Chief Minister, M Karunanidhi, coming up with a scheme during his tenure to supply essential items through ration shops at prices less than the market rates when a similar crisis hit the country in 2007. So the government should come up with schemes to help the people out of the crisis, he said.
Udhayanidhi Stalin wanted the quality of commodities like sugar and rice now supplied through ration shops to be increased further. Former Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami listed out the present prices of essential commodities in the market. It was the duty of the government to procure the essential items from States in which they are sold at rates are cheaper and then bring them to Tamil Nadu.
The price rise issue saw several leaders joining in the debate, flaying the State government for it and demanding immediate steps to control it. Among those who part in the debate were Tharahai Cuthbert of the Congress, A Ganeshkumar of the PMK, CPM’s Chellasamy and CPI’s Thalli Ramachandran.
