Hyderabad, Aug 13 :
The Chief Minister, Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, on Thursday convened a meeting with the civil supply officials to monitor and check the spiralling rise in prices of essential commodities. Convening a meeting with the officials at his Chambers, he also announced his intentions to widen the purview of the existing Essential Commodities Act.
1)New legislation would bring all agriculture products including vegetables and fruits under the jurisdiction of the proposed regulatory authority.
2)He directed the officials to take steps to rein in malls and food chains that were charging ‘exorbitant’ prices from consumers.
3)Officials to finalise modalities in a couple of days so that necessary action could be initiated at the earliest.
4)Dr Reddy expressed ‘unhappiness’ over the present scenario where middlemen were taking advantage at the expense of producers and consumers.
5)He lashed out at the Civil Supplies officials for not anticipating the price situation in advance and evolving steps to keep a check on them from time to time.
On the prices in shopping malls and other establishments, he said though it was nothing wrong in promoters seeking profits from their ventures, the government would not tolerate ‘exploitation’ in the name of profit making.