BHUBANESWAR: As edible oil prices continue to rule high and the Centre asking all states to impose stock limits on edible oil and oilseeds, the State government on Monday informed the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution that it has initiated the process to notify relevant limits for traders.
Odisha is among several states that have initiated the process of fixing stock limits and will soon notify relevant limits for different classes, official sources said.The Centre held a meeting with Food secretaries of all states on Monday to take stock of the situation.
Chairing the meeting, Joint Secretary, Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD), Partha S Das stressed that the stock limit has to be notified by each state based on their consumption pattern. The Centre has taken several steps including sharp reduction in import duties on palm oil, sunflower oil and soybean oil to ease the edible oil prices and stop future trading, he said.
Das sought details of action taken by the states on its previous orders regarding stock limits on edible oils. He said the State government has to ensure that the full benefit of duty reduction made by the Centre is passed on to the consumers in order to provide immediate relief from the high prices of edible oils.
President of the Odisha Byabasayee Sangh Sudhakar Panda said he is not aware of the action taken by the State government on the issue of stock limit of essential items like pulses, edible oil and sugar. “The government is yet to initiate any consultation with the traders body or other stakeholders,” he said.
Ironically, imposition of stock limits comes almost a year after the Centre amended the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 to delink oilseeds, cereals, pulses, onion and potato from the list of essential commodities and thus freeing them from stock limit imposition.
Since the Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the amended Act in January, the Central government has taken refuge in the Act and imposed stock limits to control prices.While prices of mustard oil have increased by almost 100 per cent, the prices of refined oil has increased by 60 to 70 per cent.