Price hike of essential commodities in state stormed the Odisha Assembly

Bhubaneswar:30/7/24; The issue of price hike of essential commodities stormed the Odisha Assembly on Tuesday as the Opposition BJD MLAs came face-to-face with the BJP members while cornering the government during discussions on an Adjournment Notice by the BJD.

In his reply to the House, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krishna Chandra Patra said that the previous BJD government was responsible for the increase in the prices of essential commodities.

Senior BJD MLA Niranjan Pujari said, “The prices have skyrocketed for the last one and a half months. Potatoes, pulses, tomatoes and onions are the staple foods of the poor and the middle class.”

“In reply, the Food Supplies Minister said that potato is Rs 18 and onion is Rs 30. The fact the minister presented differs from reality,” Pujari said adding that “the central government has given a ‘big potato’ to Odisha in this budget”.

“The government needs to pay special attention to price control. The prices of pulses, cooking oil and vegetables have skyrocketed and the minister stating that the prices of vegetables are not under the control of the government is unfortunate,” Pujari said.

Pujari said that the government will control the price of potatoes brought from Uttar Pradesh. Similarly, BJD MLAs Ganeshwar Behera and Byomkesh Ray also criticised both the BJP-led governments at the Centre and Odisha for the price hike.

Congress Legislature Party leader Ramachandra Kadam said, “Government should take steps to control prices by creating a corpus fund. The rates quoted by the minister are different from the market rates. Poor people cannot afford to buy pulses or daily necessities. The prices of oil, pulses and rice are also increasing.” Stating that Central and state governments care for the rich, not for the poor, Kadam said, “Don’t try to escape by blaming the previous government.”

On the other hand, in the discussion, BJP MLAs Ashwini Kumar Sadangi, Amarendra Das, Durga Prasad Naik, and Dusmanth Swain severely criticized the previous BJD government.

The food Supplies Minister gave his reply after the discussion in the House and said, “Chief Minister Mohan Majhi met and discussed with the Chief Minister of West Bengal and now there is no shortage of potatoes in the state. The previous BJD government neither encouraged the farmers nor did they develop any related infrastructure and instead embezzled crores of rupees, because of which, the BJD MLAs are not listening and staging walkouts.

“For the last 24 years, the BJD government has not done anything but the BJP government is taking necessary steps. The price hike is not limited to Odisha. Its effects are everywhere. Odisha is dependent on states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal for essential commodities like pulses, potatoes and onions.”

The District Magistrates have been instructed to hold a meeting with the traders so that people can get the goods at an affordable price. Field officers are conducting raids at various places. Yesterday, 450 places were raided. The District Collector has been directed to estimate the stock of potatoes, onions and pulses. There are orders to take action against black marketeers and profiteering traders.