MONITORING COMMITTEES CONSTITUTED TO
REGULATE PRICES OF ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES, VEGETABLES AND OTHER CONSUMABLES
Unregulated fluctuation in prices of
eatables in sweetshops and restaurants has now become a constant complaint
among consumers in the capital. Prices of items vary from shop-to-shop and appear
unattached to any rules or oversight. Most people believe that prices, since no
one is forcing people to buy items if they find the price too high, cannot be
regulated and some even feel that interference in market prices [for goods and
items which are not “essential”] would be an undesirable practice. But it
appears that when it comes to pricing of such items, there are rules for
monitoring and control.
A kilogram of sweets that cost Rs. 350 on
one day, could, especially in the recent Diwali rush, could jump to around Rs. 400
the next day. With no regulatory authority at present to monitor the prices, a plate
of chicken momo, that cost just Rs. 60 earlier this year is now plating in the Rs.
100 to Rs. 120 range. Even the humble Samosa, already rather expensive at Rs.
10 has moved on to some more rupees at some places.
As mentioned, with no regulatory body in
place to check such prices, unlike earlier when sweet-shops had to mandatorily put
up price display boards, the Legal Metrology Unit and Consumer Protection unit
of the Food & Civil Supplies Department, through a Gazette Notification issued
on 24 October, has stepped up in favour of consumers and set up state and a
district level committees for monitoring and regulation of prices of essential
commodities, vegetables and other consumables in Sikkim.
The State Level committee which shall
provide major policy initiatives, guidelines for regulation and movement of
essential commodities, vegetables and other consumables and regularly monitor
its activities to mitigate the problems of consumers in the State. The
committee will be headed by the Minister, Food Civil Supplies and Consumer
Affairs, as the Chairperson while the Gangtok Mayor and Secretaries of UD&HD,
State Transport Authority, Buildings & Housing Department, and Animal
Husbandry Department will be members of the committee. The committee will have
the Secretary, FCS&CAD as the Member Secretary.
The state level Monitoring and Regulatory
Committee will take all decisions regarding regulation activities related to
mobilization, control of prices if essential commodities that are consumable in
the state. The state level committee shall monitor and coordinate with the line
departments and agencies on its progress, examine and evaluate the performance
of the District Level Committee and all such related activities “as deemed fit
in larger public interest”.
Further, the Committee shall recommend
regulatory framework to the line departments, agencies and District Level
Committee related to the matter.
“The committee members have already held
meetings to deliberate and decide on the implementation under the framework of
the notification. We have already held preliminary meetings and many members
have submitted their recommendations to the committee,” states Gangtok Deputy
Mayor, Shakti Singh.
He further informs that the notification in
itself will be a boon for the consumers in the state since instances of over-charging
have been reported from all over Gangtok. “There are some restaurants selling
tea from vending machines and pricing them at Rs. 30 when vending tea just
costs a nominal Rs. 10 at most. We have to look into such discrepancies as
establishments are pricing items on their whims and fancies,” states the Deputy
Mayor.
He also adds that quantity and size could
be the main criteria for fixing rates on consumable items since the central
government has also notified items like potatoes as essential commodities now.
“Business establishments make a hue and cry
when GMC raises the license fees by just a few rupees so when they raise prices
indiscriminately they there should be no resentment towards the government if
regulation comes in,” he adds.
Similarly, the District Level committee
constituted for the purpose in east, West, North and South Sikkim located at
the District Headquarters, Gangtok, Gyalshing, Mangan and Namchi respectively
shall be responsible for implementation of the policies and decisions taken by
the State Level committee and submit reports to the Chairman and Member
Secretary on all such activities undertaken by the respective District level
Committees which shall have the respective District Collectors as the chairpersons.
The respective SPs, Divisional Engineers, Building
and Housing Department, Deputy Director, AH&VS, Bazaar Officer, UD&HD,
RTO, Transport Department, Assistant Controller, Legal Metrology, FCS&CA
department will be the members of the District Level Committee while the
respective District Civil Supplies Officers, FCS&CA shall be the Member
Secretary.
The district level committees will supervise
all such activities relating to regulation and management of prices of
essential commodities and other consumables in the district. The committee
shall prepare a systematic concept and working plan for implementing the
direction from time to time to meet the exigencies as per law established and mobilize the resource for mitigating
problems related to the subject. Further, the committee shall endeavor to make
similar such bodies at sub- divisional, block and gram panchayat level in the
respective districts and monitor, evaluate their performances at regular
interval of time. The committee shall submit a detailed report on the status
and arrangement made to the state level committee on monthly basis and daily
during crisis or as may be directed by the state level committee.
It may also be informed that the Food and
Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department shall be the Nodal Department
and all official action on Price Regulation shall be governed by Law in
operation through agencies delegated by the authority in the state.
