Odisha BJP seeks removal of Local Taxes on Pulses & Essential Food items

Odisha BJP unit demanded Odisha government to remove all local taxes on pulses and essential food items and ensure adequate availability of pulses, edible oils and other essential food items at reasonable prices.

State BJP asks state govt to take up the market intervention on a real time basis and state govt should review APMC Acts on priority basis to de-list pulses and other essential food items so that farmers can sell their produce at their places of choice. It will ensure reasonable prices for consumers and also fetch better prices for farmers.

BJP Spokesperson Sajjan Sharma said that, “State govt should immediately implement a pricing policy for pulses and such other essential food items under Section 3(2) (c) of the EC Act and should immediately enforce capping of prices of essential commodities. State govt must implement the Price Stabilization Fund Scheme for market intervention to enhance availability and check prices of essential items”.

Sri Sharma expressed concern over state govt’s failure in lifting of pulses from buffer stock, which is a pre-requisite besides strengthening storage facilities for pulses, vegetables edible oils seeds, Onions.

He asked state govt to refrain from encouraging hoarding and black marketing of essential commodities in view of coming festival season. He urged state govt to conduct regular raids & take strict action against the habitual violators and speculators under the EC (Essential Commodities) Act & PBMMSEC(Prevention of Black Marketing & Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities) Act which provides for preventive detention up to 6 months. He further demanded State govt should immediately create a dedicated Force under the EC Act, on the lines of Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Crime Investigation Department, for effective operations against hoarders, blackmarketeers, profiteers and unscrupulous traders/speculators of essential commodities, who normally thrives on BJD patronage.