E. Chandrasekharan, Minister for Revenue, has stressed the role of the Centre in holding the price line of essential goods in a consumerist State like Kerala.
Speaking at the district-level inauguration of the Onam-Bakrid fairs here on Sunday, the Minister said Kerala was a food-deficient State where only the State government would be able to ensure the consumers got quality products throughout the year.
Quality products
Those in authority had the responsibility to ensure regular flow of quality products to the markets all through the year, not just during festival seasons.
This needed active intervention of the Central government, he said.
Farmers had the right to get remunerative price for their produce and consumers had the right to get quality products at reasonable prices.
This could be assured only if the Central government took its responsibility seriously, he said.
During the Onam-Bakrid seasons, the government proposed to open nearly 1,500 Maveli-Supplyco fairs, almost one in every grama panchayat.
The government had already sanctioned ₹200 crore to the Supplyco for the purpose.
Other agencies involved in market intervention like Marketfed would receive ₹150 crore for the purpose, he said.
Controlling price rise
Stressing the State government’s commitment to control price of essential articles, Mr. Chandrasekharan said the decision to keep the price of 13 essential articles fixed for a five-year period was part of this commitment.
Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, MLA, presided.
District panchayat president Zacharias Kuthiraveli, Kottayam municipal chairman P.R. Sona, and others spoke.