New Delhi

‘No shortage of edible oils’

Photo: Sushil Kumar Verma

Show of Solidarity: DPCC president J. P. Agarwal, Delhi Food and Civil Supplies Minister Haroon Yousuf and members of Delhi Vegetable Oil Traders’ Association in the Capital on Thursday.

NEW DELHI: In a unique show of solidarity between the Delhi Government and the Congress party, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Haroon Yusuf and Pradesh Congress Committee president J. P. Agarwal addressed a joint press conference on Thursday to declare that there was no shortage of mustard and vegetable cooking oils in the Capital as was being made out by the Opposition.

Mr. Yusuf, who was accompanied by a delegation of the Delhi Vegetable Oil Association led by its president Laxmi Chand Agarwal, had met the DPCC president in Rajiv Bhawan earlier in the day and assured him that the Association would directly purchase cooking oils and ghee from the manufacturers and provide the same to the consumers at affordable rates.

Later accompanied by the Minister the DPCC president announced that arrangements had been made by the Association to provide mustard, soya bean and vanaspati oils at reasonable rates to consumers.

He said these oils would be sold at Rs.55 to 60 per litre at 25 outlets across the Capital.

With the Delhi Assembly elections due later this year, the DPCC is keen to ensure that the rise in the prices of essential commodities does not spell doom for the party.

Since the BJP Government in 1998 had fallen in the wake of a sharp increase in onion prices, the issue of high prices is not being taken lightly now by the Delhi Congress.

Mr. Agarwal also declared that the Congress workers in Delhi would make all-out efforts to ensure that the cooking oils being sold at “reasonable” rates reach the poor in the slum clusters and resettlement colonies.

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