Essential Commodities Act To Stay

Minister of state for consumer affairs Satyapal Yadav yesterday ruled out a withdrawal of the Essential Commodities Act in view of the sensitivity of the food security, but assured industrialists that changes will be made to address the grievances of the trading community.

If the Act is withdrawn, the prices of drugs and other commodities included in its purview will go up sharply creating hardships to the common man, Yadav said while inaugurating an interactive session on the Essential Commodities Act organised by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry in New Delhi.

He said the select committee of Parliament, studying the Bill to amend the Act, would soon come out with its report that will include relief for traders.

 

Food secretary N N Mookerjee, in his address, said the government would explore the possibility of bringing changes in the ECA Act not routing it through the legislative framework. The control orders and the request of the trading community to further prune down the commodities under the purview of the Act were under consideration, he said.

R S Mathur, secretary to the department of food, said that food was too sensitive a subject to be left totally to the market forces. The government would have to maintain a buffer stock of food and release it through various outlets, he said.