Pro-active steps taken to curb food prices, says Piyush Goyal

NEW DELHI: Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday noted that the Centre has taken many pro-active steps in last few years to control retail prices of food items and said the government will keep inflation under control while ensuring country’s economic growth. He was addressing an event, organised by the ministry here, to celebrate National Consumers Day.

“Today, India has become the fastest growing large economy. Going forward, we will keep inflation under check and also ensure economic growth,” Goyal said.

Retail inflation inched up to a three-month high of 5.55 per cent in November driven by higher food prices, according to latest official data.

The retail inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was at 4.87 per cent in October. Inflation had been declining since August when it touched 6.83 per cent. On steps taken by the central government, Goyal highlighted that 140 new price monitoring centres have been set up to keep a close watch on wholesale and retail prices of essential commodities.

“Today, prices are being monitored at 550 (consuming) centres on a daily basis. This helps in insulating consumers from price rise,” Goyal said. In the last two years, he said, when the entire world witnessed very high inflation, especially in the food items, India was able to control inflation through pro-active fiscal and monetary policies.

“Whenever inflation (in some commodity) started rising, the government took pro- active measures and controlled it.”

Goyal cited measures taken by the Centre to control price rise in tomatoes and onions in a short period of time.

The government sold tomatoes and onions through retail outlets of NCCF, NAFED and Kendriya Bhandar as well as mobile vans.

In case of onion, he said the government is buying onions from farmers to create buffer stock and ensure they get a fair price of their produce.

He also highlighted that the Centre is selling Bharat Dal at Rs 60 per kg and Bharat atta at Rs 27.50 per kg to provide relief to common man.