AP for price monitoring panel at district level

Each district in Andhra Pradesh requires a price monitoring committee to review prices of all commodities and report to the State Government for taking corrective steps.

The Committee should be chaired by the Joint Collector of the district and the heads of civil supplies, agriculture, horticulture, marketing, animal husbandry, Rythu Bazaars etc should be members. It can be modelled on the lines of the price monitoring committee at the State level, the Chief Secretary, Mr Pankaj Dwivedi has said.

He said there was also a need to forecast production, demand and supply, price trends etc, of commodities. For this, a research wing with experts in different commodities was necessary. The price monitoring committee will meet every fortnight and take necessary decisions, he said at a review meeting of the Committee.

The Committee reviewed the prices of essential commodities including milk, vegetables, pulses, edible oils and supply of seeds and fertilizers. Though inflation was presently on the negative side, it is necessary that advance planning is done by the departments concerned to see that the essential commodities are available to the consumers at affordable rates.

The Chief Secretary asked the animal husbandry department to see that there is no scarcity of Vijaya whole milk or any dairy products. Dairy products should be made available to the consumers through Rythu Bazaars.

Rythu Bazaars heads have been advised to strengthen the Rythu Bazaars and make available the vegetables by opening adequate retail counters wherever possible and also by operating mobile vans for sale of the commodities.

>soma@thehindu.co.in

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