Food and Civil Supplies Minister G.R. Anil has announced stringent measures to control the prices of essential commodities and vegetables across the State.
Mr. Anil addressed a meeting of senior officials, including the Land Revenue Commissioner, District Collectors, Food department Secretary, Commissioner of Civil Supplies, and the Controller of Legal Metrology, on Tuesday to assess the current price trends of various products and to evaluate the steps being implemented to control their prices in view of the upcoming Onam season.
During the meeting, the Minister highlighted the formation of a State-level committee chaired by the Chief Secretary. This committee is tasked with reviewing price levels of essential commodities and will convene every four months to ensure price stability.
The Centre for Price Research and Monitoring Cell, functioning under the department, has also been monitoring the rates of various items.
Data obtained during the first week of August indicates a decrease in the prices of essential commodities including rice, coconut oil, moong dal, chickpeas, toor dal, and chillies compared to the previous month. Additionally, the costs of fruits, vegetables, and poultry have also seen a decline.
However, the prices of certain items like chickpeas, toor dal, Kuruva rice, and coconut oil are projected to rise in the coming months.
The Minister directed the respective departments to adopt proactive measures to boost the availability of such goods. He also emphasised the need to intensify inspections and surveillance to further tackle the issue. Meetings of wholesale dealers must also be convened in each district.
Mr. Anil also announced that joint squads comprising officials from the Food, Revenue, Police, Legal Metrology, and Food Safety departments will be deployed across the State during the Onam season.
These squads will focus on ensuring compliance with price standards and adopting strict action against establishments failing to display accurate pricing.