NEW DELHI, Feb 18: The joint monitoring committee (JMC) on prices today decided to set up separate price monitoring mechanisms at the state level to review supply position of essential commodities.The committee, which held its first meeting today under the chairmanship of Consumer Affairs secretary K Srinivasan, also decided to disseminate information about prices and production of essential goods to central and state governments.The monitoring mechanism at the state level would review supply position of essential commodities and work out measures to keep prices under control, an official release said here.The JMC, which has chief secretaries of states and union territories as members, was set up by the Government in January this year in the wake of an unprecedented rise in prices of essential commodities.At the meeting, state governments agreed to remove controls on the movement of goods from one state to another and strengthen enforcement of the Essential Commodities Act during periods of highprices.It was also decided to have a close interface between the Centre and states in effective management of demand and supply of essential commodities. The meeting also noted that prices of most essential commodities were `normal', at present.
