Stringent action to be taken against hoarders, black marketeers

April 27: In view of reports and complaints of rise in prices of essentials, the district administration convened a meeting to take stock of the situation and formulate action plan to keep prices under check. Chairing a meeting with officials of agriculture, food civil supplies and corporate affairs, animal husbandry and veterinary, fisheries and other line departments at the Deputy Commissioner’s conference hall here on Monday, District Development Commissioner (DDC), Vikram Dev Sharma urged the officials to adopt pro active steps against those unscrupulous elements trying to take advantage of the situation by hiking prices of essentials and that of vegetables, fruits, fish and chicken beyond the prices fixed by the administration.

Sharma directed the officials of departments concerned to ensure that the vendors engaged with delivery of vegetables, fruits, fish, chicken, milk and other items at the doorstep of the people have to display the price list fixed by the administration. The DDC said that stringent action would be taken against those vendors not displaying the price list or failing to produce the same to the public on demand. Sharma asked the flying squad teams to keep a hawk’s eye on the price situation and to take firm action against the hoarders and black marketeers indulging in nefarious activities during the time of lockdown.

The DDC asked the officials of concerned departments and members of flying squads to gather the feedback from the people buying goods at grocery shops if they are getting the items at the prices set by the district administration. “Constant monitoring and vigilance are a must to keep the price rise under check,” he quipped. Sharma instructed the officials of concerned departments to keep updated proper stock of essentials available and to place orders in advance so that there is no shortfall in supply. The DDC asked the officials to submit detailed report on stocks available and the quantities distributed daily.

Additional Deputy Commissioner, EL Faihraem said that he would ask the police administration to work in tandem with the flying squads to nab those unscrupulous elements trying to reap benefits at the expense of the people during the lockdown period. Faihraem directed the members of the flying squads to report any incident of malpractices and irregularities to the police station and to file FIR immediately. “Anyone found indulging in corruption must not be spared and FIRs must be lodged forthwith,” he added. He said the administration is keeping the flow of essentials to the people and also to the beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana and Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic) and asked the flying squads to keep a close watch on the distribution of essentials so that ‘no one can siphon off essentials during the lockdown period’.

In charge of flying squads, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Dr. Khaleda S.Ahmed said the members of the public must report to the flying squad or to the control room of District Disaster Management Authority if they find any grocery owners or, for that matter, any hawkers charging above the prices fixed by the administration. Dr. Ahmed asked the district heads of line departments to upload the price list of commodities falling under their respective jurisdictions for better monitoring by flying squad members.

The administration has urged the general public to report any cases of malpractices to the district control room numbers: 7002904530, 9401442632 and 6026824232 for necessary action. The meeting also reviewed the situation arising out of outbreak of mysterious disease leading to heavy toll of pigs in some parts of the state and taking up of steps on a war footing to prevent the outbreak in Hailakandi district.

DDC, Sharma and ADC, Faihraem directed the officials of animal husbandry and veterinary department to go in for massive vaccination drive and to create awareness in areas where pig farmers have put up resistance against vaccination. Sharma asked the department to carry out the vaccination in a planned manner and to set a timeline for completing the entire exercise.

Veterinary officials apprised the meeting that around 300 vaccinations have been carried out in Hailakandi town, tea garden and other areas in the past couple of days. The district received 700 vaccines for classical swine fever from the state while more vaccines would be required to vaccinate a total of 2,561 pigs. The administration is planning to go in for fogging drive in the pigsties to prevent the outbreak of the disease.