AP govt fixes retail price of 10 essential commodities to check price rise

The Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday said it is fixing retail price of 10 essential commodities including rice, dals, edible oils and some vegetables in order to stop vendors from charging high rates misusing the current COVID-19 lockdown situation.

The district committee is fixing prices of rice, four varieties of dals, three variants of edible oils and some vegetables. The rates are displayed across the state for the benefit of the consumers, the government said in a statement.

A special helpline number 1902 has also been set up for citizens to report any price discrepancies, it said.

To ensure availability to consumers and protect the interest of farmers, the government has put in place additional 471 temporary Rythu Bazars apart from the existing 100. This will help farmers get remunerative prices for their produce and stop them from distressed sales.

Besides, the government has converted 451 Andhra Pradesh State Road Transportation Corporation (APSRTC) buses into 'Mobile Rythu Bazars' for selling a wide range of commodities straight from the farm.

The state agriculture marketing department has also scaled up door delivery of services and about 25 per cent of the produce is being sold through this system.

The department plans to soon launch a mobile app for online delivery of vegetables and fruits in the state. The process of onboarding logistical partners is underway.

To implement social distancing at Rythu Bazars, markings have been made using paint and lime powder to avoid crowds. Tokens are being issued at certain Rythu Bazars during peak hours.

With banana farmers facing problems in selling their produce, the state government is directly procuring the fruit from farmers and selling to consumers at nominal rates.

The state government has procured 7,000 tonne of bananas so far. It may be noted that bananas are being sold at Rs 10/kg, much lower than Rs 70 per kg in supermarkets across the state, the statement added.

For smooth procurement of rabi (winter) crops, the state government said it has set up 700 centres near farm fields for procuring jowar, red gram, bengal gram, maize and turmeric.