Keep a check on prices of essentials, Telangana High Court tells government

Hyderabad: The High Court Division Bench on Thursday directed the State government to continue to supervise and ensure that there is no dearth of essential commodities in the state and also the prices of the said commodities should not skyrocket.

Hearing upon a suo moto took up a PIL by the High Court Bench comprising Chief Justice RS Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy through video conference based on a print media article highlighting the spiralling prices of vegetables, fruits and other essential commodities and exorbitant prices at Rythu Bazaars in Hyderabad, due to the lockdown.

The Bench while examining the report filed by Civil Supplies Department Commissioner opined that there seem to be enough inspections on the people, seems that a large number of cases have been invoked on the people resorting to price rise and the prices of the essential commodities have come down.

Consumer Affairs, Food and Civil Supplies Commissioner Anil Kumar filed an additional counter in this regard and says that the prices of pulses, spices and essential commodities have not increased phenomenally but have increased moderately.

During the Lockdown 20,530 inspections were conducted throughout the State, 1,166 cases were booked levying a penalty of Rs. 33.50 lakh. In addition to this, the Legal Metrology Department has conducted 15,901 inspections, registered 2258 cases levying a compound fee of Rs. 76.98 lakh. Moreover, The Food and Civil Supplies Commissioner informed the Bench that in view of the relaxations given by the State Government in implementing the measures during the lockdown due to spike of Covid-19, the situation is coming to normalcy and there are no instances of price rise of essentials and pulses and considering the data given in the counter affidavit.

The Bench after going through the counter affidavit opined that the State government has taken action against the persons who are selling essential consumables at exorbitant rates. Moreover, the Bench closed the PIL.