Minister allays fears of price rise

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Civil Supplies Minister T M Jacob has said that the ongoing lorry strike by lorry-owners of five states would not affect the festival market in the state even as Onam and Ramzan sales are on the rise. The minister said that the state had enough stock of essential commodities to catering to the needs of Onam and Ramzan festival season.The Minister’s assurance came in the wake of the idenfinite strike launched by lorry-owners of the five states of Maharastra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Pondicherry.The minister said that measures had been initiated to check black marketing and hoarding. The government had also initiated steps to check price rise during the Onam season. Arrangements have been made to ensure the smooth distribution of food commodities during the festival season, he said.The State Government had already taken steps for procuring additional stock of essential commodities for Supplyco through the e-tender process in view of the festival season.However, as most of the essential commodities to Kerala come from neighbouring states there are apprehensions about rise in prices if the strike is prolonged.Though the government holds buffer stock of essential commodities, which would be adequate to meet the needs for at least a month, a prolonged strike might spell trouble for the households in the state.The strike has been called by the All-India Motor Transport Congress raising various demands including reduction in the price of diesel, giving concession in toll rates and cancellation of the hike from Rs 6000 to Rs 10,000 in third party insurance rates.The Transport Congress had also demanded reduction in toll fees for multi-axle vehicles, collection of only 50 percent of the toll fee for vehicles in their native districts and 25 per cent for empty vehicles as per the agreement reached with the Central Government last December. More than 24 lakh lorries have been withdrawn from service following the strike.The lorries distributing milk, newspapers and medicines have been exempted from strike.