Saurashtra farmers to meet panel today

The delegation would update the panel on the problems the farmers and traders are facing in the region to help the government take appropriate actions the groundnut growers have been waiting for long. Besides Dhaduk, farmer leader Jayantibhai Dhol and MLA Jayrajsingh Jadeja will represent on behalf of farmers.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel told reporters that only the sub-committee, headed by Industries Minister Suresh Mehta, could decide on the issue. When his attention was drawn to Agriculture Minister Nitin Patel’s recent statement that the curbs should be lifted at the earliest, the Chief Minister said it was the minister’s personal view. He said besides the groundnut oil, other essential commodities were brought under the purview of the committee which had been meeting frequently to review the price and supply.

Referring to the Chief Ministers’ meeting convened by the Prime Minister in Delhi recently to discuss measures to check the rising prices, Patel said he had informed the meeting that the State Government would create a buffer stock of groundnut oil worth Rs 125 crore. The prices of groundnut oil and other essentials were crashing, he claimed.

Meanwhile, Civil Supplies Minister Jaspal Singh warned traders that the government would not hesitate to exercise its power to control profit margin, if they continued to indulge in profiteering. Though the prices of groundnut oil have started crashing, there are reports of certain traders indulging in profiteering.

In a statement, Singh said he had directed the district supply officers to initiate stringent action against those found indulg.