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Steps to check price rise in Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday announced a series of measures to combat the increase in the prices of essential commodities. The multi-pronged efforts will include the import of dhal, direct purchase of wheat from the northern States and placing restrictions on the amount of food commodities that can be stocked by traders.

A high-level meeting convened by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi decided to fix a ceiling on stocks of edible oil and rice that may be maintained both by retail merchants and wholesale traders. The quantum will be fixed soon.

Similarly there will be restrictions in stocking wheat, wheat flour and dhal varieties. Wholesale traders may not stock above 100 tonnes of wheat and 250 tonnes of dhal. For retail merchants, the limit is 3.125 tonnes of wheat and 6.25 tonnes of dhal. The purpose of imposing the restrictions, according to an official press release, is to check hoarding and black marketing.

As the production of toor and other dhal varieties and palm oil in the country is less than the requirement, the government has decided to import dhal from Myanmar and palm oil from Malaysia. A team comprising the Civil Supplies Commissioner and the Managing Director of the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation will leave for these countries on April 24.

To ensure adequate stocks and supplies through the public distribution system (PDS), the Civil Supplies Corporation will procure wheat directly from Punjab and other wheat-growing States. Special teams will be formed by the Civil Supplies Department and the Food Cell police to maintain vigil throughout the State, especially in the border districts, to prevent hoarding and illegal inter-State movement of foodgrains.

As an experimental measure, the government will import yellow dhal from Canada. This is considered equivalent to toor dhal and costs less. The existing distribution of dhal varieties, wheat products and palm oil through the PDS shops will continue.

A State-level monitoring cell will be set up. It will hold weekly review meetings and take appropriate measures including procurement of additional foodgrains by wholesale cooperative societies from other States to feed the PDS.

As a long-term measure, the production of dhal varieties will be sought to be improved. Paddy yields will also be sought to be stepped up through the rice intensification technique, the release said.

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