Raids to rein in prices

LUCKNOW, Nov 1 (PTI, UNI) — The authorities today conducted raids on godowns of hoarders and black marketeers in parts of Uttar Pradesh to check the spiralling prices of essential commodities, including salt, an official said here.

"The raids are continuing. We are evaluating the situation every 12 hours", Joint Secretary (Home) R S Agarwal said.

"The district magistrates have been asked to conduct raids to check hoarding and scotch rumours about the shortage of the essential commodities in their respective districts", he said.

He said excess stock found with traders would be sold to the general public at controlled rates.

Rumours of an imminent shortage of salt swept the state Capital yesterday after reports of "panic buying" of salt trickled in from various parts of the state, forcing the authorities to make public announcements that there was sufficient availability of the commodity.

Food Secretary P C Chaturvedi said there was no shortage of essential commodities in the state and the government would take strict action against anyone found hoarding them.

The special team constituted by the government to check the hoarding of essential commodities conducted raids on several godowns of traders in Lucknow and seized unaccounted stocks of essential commodities, official sources said.

Five persons were arrested at Varanasi for hoarding and black marketeering, Prinicipal Secretary (Home) Naresh Dayal said.

A report from Varanasi said at least 25 persons were arrested for spreading rumours about artificial shortage of salt and selling salt at higher price in Varanasi, Bhadohi and Chandauli districts of Uttar Pradesh during the past two days. The rumour mongers would be booked under the National Security Act (NSA).

District Magistrate of Varanasi A K Awasthi said salt was available in sufficient quantity in the city and adjoining districts at reasonable prices and there was no need for people to panic.

He said enough stocks of salt had been sent to fair price shops and the civil supplies department and the police had been asked to keep a tight vigil on the rumour mongers and black marketeers.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party workers today staged a day-long-dharna at Azad Park in Lahurabir in protest against the spiral rise.

CALCUTTA: Alarmed at the rapid rise in prices, the West Bengal Government has decided to ban the movement of rice, potato and edible oil outside the state while steps are being taken to import 10,000 tonnes of onions from Iran.

The police has been asked to step up the anti-hoarding drive in a stringent manner, state Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta said after a Left Front meeting here on Sunday.

He said the police had been directed to keep a watch on the availability of salt in markets in view of the rise in the prices of the commodity in some states and added that the administration would deal with the hoarders sternly.

On the import of onion, he said the trade wing of the Indian Embassy in Teheran had been moved to ensure the quality of the onions to be exported to West Bengal. The imported onions would be sold through ration shops at prices ranging between Rs 20 and Rs 22 per kg.

Stating that Front constituents expressed concern at the spiralling price rise, the Finance Minister said steps were also being taken to make palmolein oil available at ration shops, with the Essential Commodities Supply Corporation being asked to take the necessary measures.

Mr Dasgupta said 3,500 tonnes of palmolein oil had been procured and a notification would be shortly issued for their distribution through the public distribution system.

Stating that 15 arrests had already been made and hoarded mustard oil worth Rs 24.72 lakh impounded during the intensive stock-checking in 168 wholesale shops for mustard oil, he said the drive against wholesale onion dealers would be stepped up. "The anti-hoarding drive had already been conducted against 25 onion dealers," he said, adding the administration would be "very tough" on the onion hoarders in particular.

Meanwhile, the Left Front chairman Sailen Dasgupta held the BJP-led coalition government’s liberalisation policy responsible for the massive price rise. The Centre, he alleged, had "miserably failed" to check the price rise.

Reiterating the Left Front’s demand for making available 14 essential commodities at subsidised rates through the PDS, the Front chairman said the state government had already taken some "administrative steps" to meet the unprecedented situation. "Some essential commodities have to be imported from abroad for distribution through the PDS," he added.

He said the Left Front had decided to organise protest rallies in districts on November 10 against the price rise and the Centre’s policy for some public sector units in the state.

PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi has directed the administration to launch a fortnight-long drive against hoarders and black marketeers to check spiralling prices of essential commodities.

Following reports of hoarding of onions and salt and soaring prices of vegetables, the Chief Minister instructed the state Chief Secretary, the Food Commissioner and the Civil Supplies authorities to conduct raids and book the culprits.

Mrs Rabri Devi blamed the BJP-led government at the Centre for the price rise, saying its wrong policies were encouraging black marketeers and hoarders.

She said she would not hesitate to take action against the district magistrates if they failed in their duties to bring hoarders and black marketeers to book.

The administration would act immediately on receipt of information from the public about these activities and a special cell would be constituted in the office of the Chief Secretary for the purpose, she said

Salt scarcity scare in Delhi
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Nov 1 — After onions, the salt scarcity scare in the Capital has hit the consumer hard.

The Delhi Government says it is a just a rumour. The residents of Delhi feel otherwise.

There was panic buying after "reports" of the salt prices shooting up and there being a likelihood of salt not being available in Delhi began to circulate early this morning.

The Delhi Food and Civil Supplies Minister, Ms Poornima Sethi, said that raids were conducted on black-marketeers and hoarders of salt. Five persons have been arrested and 25 detained since morning by the Enforcement wing of the Delhi Civil Supplies Department for selling salt at inflated prices.

Ms Sethi said 10 trucks of salt had arrived this morning and there was no question of a shortage. "I have spoken to the General Manager of Tata Salt who has assured me that the company has a stock of about 3500 tonnes," she said.

Unconfirmed reports stated that about 2 lakh packets of salt has been sold in the Kalkaji area alone.

"The panic buying has taken place in East Delhi and in lower middle class localities like Jagatpuri. There were a few reports of panic buying in South Delhi," Ms Sethi said.

The Weights and Measures Department is also conducting raids to ensure that the shopkeepers are not selling salt at a lower weight.

In a meeting with the Lt Governor, Mr Vijai Kapoor, the Delhi Chief Minister, Ms Sushma Swaraj, and other senior officers discussed the reports about the scarcity of salt in the Capital.

Ms Poornima blamed the Congress "for creating a scarcity scare in the city to defame the Bharatiya Janata Party before the Assembly elections."

Now that the onion issue was more or less settled with prices falling in the wholesale market, the Congress was trying to create an artificial shortage in the market for salt which was the common man’s need to bring down the popularity of her government before the election on November 25, Ms Sethi alleged.

There were long queues in front of shops selling salt since early this morning. People were buying salt in large amounts despite the government claim that there was "no problem" on the salt front.

The apparent fear of the salt price jumping ten-fold had sparked off the panic buying.

The consumers were not ready to take chances and many bought at least 10 kg of salt to ensure that even if there was any crisis, they would tide over the problem.

Mr Jagtar Singh, a resident of Kondli Gharoli in East Delhi, said that he had bought salt after his neighbour told him that from tomorrow, iodised salt would not be available in the market and the current stock would begin selling at a much higher rate.

The shopkeepers had a field day selling salt at higher prices. However, salt was not sold at the astronomical price of Rs 60 kg in Delhi as in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar yesterday.