VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday directed officials of the Civil Supplies Department to take all measures to control the prices of essential commodities.
Naidu held a review meeting on civil supplies, agriculture, and marketing wings at his Undavalli residence. Minister for Civil Supplies Nadendla Manohar and officials of all three wings were present.
With a focus mainly on demand and supply, the Chief Minister directed officials to ensure that the burden of increasing prices of essential commodities is not passed on to the consumers. It is better to check price rise through regular review by the three departments instead of making attempts to bring down the rates after a hike, he noted.
Nadendla Manohar and the officials briefed Naidu on the measures initiated to control the prices of essential commodities. The Chief Minister directed the officials to ensure that essential commodities are imported to meet the rising demand. He also inquired about the measures being taken in the long term to resolve the issue.
The officials informed the Chief Minister about various essential items that are available at Rythu Bazaars in the State at subsidised prices and the special counters set up in various parts of the State to meet the demand. Agriculture Minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu and Chief Secretary Neerab Kumar Prasad attended the meeting virtually.
Naidu observed that the vigilance wing should play a key role in controlling the prices. Stating that stringent measures should be taken against those who resort to black marketing of essential commodities, he also felt that justice could be done to the consumers and farmers by using godowns on a large scale.