Mamata Banerjee on Thursday initiated a series of measures to ensure that prices of essential commodities didn’t go up at a time when tensions between India and Pakistan were increasing following the launch of Operation Sindoor, and urged traders to stand by common people.
“We don’t disturb you regularly.... A situation has arisen, and this is not the time to mint money. It is time to stand by common people,” the chief minister told the representatives of traders’ organisations during a meeting at Nabanna on Thursday.
Mamata convened the meeting to ensure that the prices of essential commodities didn’t go out of reach of common people during a crisis. She initiated a series of measures to ensure that common people didn’t face trouble.
The chief minister asked police, urban bodies and the enforcement branch to keep a track of the markets regularly so that no one could hoard essential commodities. She asked the police to ensure that no essential commodity, including potatoes, was sent to other states.
“You should ensure that no one resorts to hoarding and should also keep a watch on the borders so that no essential commodities can be sent outside the state,” said the chief minister.
She said the prices of commodities across the state were stable these days, and the government would have to monitor the markets properly so that the existing situation could be maintained.
The chief minister took stock of potatoes stored in 518 cold stores across the state and said there was enough stock to meet the requirement in Bengal in the next few months.
Mamata asked the officials to conduct surprise raids on the markets frequently and activate the task forces in the districts to keep a tab on the prices of the commodities.