According to Food Ministry sources, the current stock of rice is over 11.12 lakh tonnes and the government is reported to start Open Market Sales (OMS). However, the OMS is not a solution for controlling the price of the staple. It’s a temporary solution for supplying rice for poor clients because of their limited affordability. The quality is not good either.
However, it’s the regulatory body which is supposed to control the price countrywide by bringing all traders, importers and wholesalers under a single umbrella. OMS programmes were launched many times before, but have evidently failed to resolve the problem. Moreover, when this is the situation the rice imported from India is being sold at lower prices than the local varieties in our markets – but consumers were showing little interest for the items due to variation in taste.
It has been alleged and also proven a number of times that a section of traders in association with government employees and importers have made hefty profits in the last few months. This too, we believe, requires thorough investigation. However, what we find absolutely inexcusable is the Ministry’s inability to foresee and stymie the sudden and sharp increase in the price of the staple. Just last year many importers throughout the country were arrested for illegal hoarding.
The sad truth is the function of TCB – the government’s key tool to tame commodity prices – has weakened over the years – leaving both the government and the consumer under the mercy of private sector importers and traders. Also the strict enforcement of Essential Articles (Price Control and Anti-Hoarding) Act is missing.
Is there any authority to address these manmade predicaments?
