A high-level meeting was held today to ensure round-the-clock availability of essential commodities in Odisha markets and to keep the supply chain smooth and uninterrupted.
Chaired by Food Supply and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra at the State Supply Corporation conference hall, the meeting was attended by representatives of traders’ associations from various districts.
Detailed discussions focused on checking unwarranted price hikes of essential items, maintaining steady market availability of food commodities, and initiating strict action against hoarding. The traders’ representatives gave a firm assurance of full cooperation with the government on all these fronts.
The meeting also deliberated on better coordination between the government, traders, and consumers to protect the interests of both business communities and the public.
Addressing long-standing demands of the traders, Minister Patra assured that the government would seriously consider setting up vegetable mandis in every district and creating separate business premises for traders. He said he would immediately hold discussions with the respective District Collectors to take concrete steps in this direction.
Among those present were Special Secretary of the Food Supply and Consumer Welfare Department Purandar Dharua, Deputy Director of Publicity and Public Relations Deepak Satpathy, and prominent traders’ representatives, including Sudhakar Panda, Saktishankar Mishra, and Kabiraj Swain, along with delegates from Cuttack, Balasore, Ganjam, and Balangir districts.
