Price rise: Minister meets businessmen
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, September 19 2013: With a view to control escalating prices of essential commodities in the State which has caused lot of sufferings to the people, Moirangthem Okendro, Minister for Consumers Affairs Food & Public Distribution today held a joint meeting with the businessmen dealing food supply and transporters today.

The meeting which was held at the office chamber of the Minister at Secretariat North Block here today afternoon was also attended by Y Thamkishore Singh, Commissioner CAF & PD, its Director M Yaiskul and representatives of the businessmen of Khwairamband Keithel and Consumer Club Manipur.

During the course of the meeting, the businessmen informed the Minister that there is no authority to control the price of essential commodities in Imphal market.

The prices of the commodities depend on the rate at which they have bought them.

And since the transportation charge is also very high, the prices of essential commodities have also risen correspondingly.

They further pointed out that inclusion of 5 percent VAT on rice is also one of the main reasons for the high price of rice in the State today.

So, if 5 percent of the VAT thus charged on rice is removed, then the price of rice in the market could be reduced to a considerable level.

The representatives of the businessmen also pointed out the need on the part of the State Government to check illegal transportation of rice to Myanmar through Moreh.

After giving a patient hearing, Minister M Okendro responded that State Government has taken up measures to control transportation of rice to Myanmar through Moreh illegally and some of those involved in the illegal trade have already been arrested.

The Minister informed that the Commissioner and Director of Consumers Affairs Food & Public Distribution have been directed to issue a Departmental order over prohibition of transporting PDS and non-PDS items to Myanmar through Moreh.

However, since the matter over non-inclusion of VAT on rice cannot be decided on his own discretion, the matter will be brought up at the level of the Chief Minister, who is also in-charge of the Finance portfolio and discuss it in detail.

The Minister also asked the businessmen to put up the prices of all commodities in front of their shops and instructed all concerned to take up the required measures for controlling the price of rice in the State.

The Minister went on to explain that unavailability of PDS items to the beneficiaries could be one of the reasons for the high demand of rice in shops.

So, if the PDS are items are made available to the beneficiaries in time on a regular basis, the demand could be reduced to some extent.

The Minister informed that the Food Security Act would be implemented in the State by the beginning of next year, whereby 87 percent of the whole population would be benefitted.

The time period of its implementation could be hastened if the identification of Fair Price Shops and construction of godowns are completed early.

With the implementation of Food Security Act in the State, the prices of essential commodities in the State would be reduced.

However, at that point of time, the State Government would try and purchase essential commodities through Open Market sale by pressing the Central Government and the FCI, to be sold in the market.

This will also help the businessmen in the State to a large extent, the Minister added.

He also stated that a meeting of the Price Fixation and Monitoring Committee would be convened very soon to fix prices of all essential commodities.

Meanwhile, Minister M Okendro informed media persons that the total number of households in Manipur is 5,41,920 in accordance to the 2011 census.

However, the allocation of PDS items has been done according to the census report of 2000.Since there is a vast difference in the population during this one decade, the people of the State have been sharing among each other with the little allocation.

As such, the Minister assured that he would bring up the matter during the meeting of the Food Ministers to be held in Delhi on October 3 next and urge the Union Minister for CAF & PD to provide extra allocation and also to implement the Food Security Act in total in Manipur.

The Minister also appealed to all the concerned to avail the BPL and APL cards from their respective DCs before the Act is implemented in the State and stated that the State Government would see that all the households in the State is provided with an APL ration card.

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