As prices of pulses seem to have moved out of the reach of a common man, the department of food & civil supplies and federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce & Industries (FJCCI) are likely to mount joint efforts to bring the commodity within the common man’s reach through Jan Suvidha Centres likely to be setup in various parts of the State.
The Food and Civil Supplies and FJCCI will hold discussions with regard to the matter on Sunday besides negotiating allied issues to bring prices into the affordable zone. Replying to the question of the proposed Jan Suvidha Centres, secretary of the department Vinay Choubey said, “Yes, I have asked them to come to my office. We will mutually seek some agreeable solution that will help people at large. We are heading towards a negotiation”.
Notwithstanding the bonhomie exhibited by the traders and the department, accusations have started flying thick and fast as the department has blamed the traders of profiteering and also of crying foul after getting rap on the knuckles for hoarding the commodity with the intention of making extra profit. The department also rubbished the charge made by the FJCCI that the traders have been kept in dark about the maintaining stocks and were not given sufficient time to release the commodity in the market.
“If prices can go down by `10-15 in just a single raid then it is clear that they resorted to booking large profit. We had released a circular in March and also informed in August to not keep stocks above specified limit. I just followed up the matter with respective deputy commissioners,” maintained Choubey.
Notably, raid against hoarding intensified after the department of FCS on October 19 took up the matter of pulses rise and action taken by district administrations to control unabated rise in prices. More than 50 raids have reportedly been carried out since October 19 resulting in seizure of 2864-quintal pulses from two pulse mills in Ranchi, apart from similar raids elsewhere in the State.
Meanwhile, the FJCCI registered their anguish over the ongoing raids and blamed the district administration of vitiating the ease of doing business atmosphere in Jharkhand. The federation vowed to take initiatives from their end and launch efforts to lessen the burden on a common man’s pocket. The apex body of traders accused the department of being tyrannical in its approach towards hoarding and seizing items which don’t come under the definition of pulses.
“They have started raiding mills without specifying the stock limit for them. We were shown the copy of the order dated October 19 after we raised the matter with the SDO at the premises which was raided. Moreover, they have also seized stocks of gram-flour, peas which doesn’t come under the category of pulses,” said FJCCI president, Pawan Sharma.
Sharma added that the federation has asked traders to play constructive role in opening Jan Suvidha Centres to bring prices down.