SRINAGAR: Following the instructions of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to ensure quality checks and curb overpricing of essentials in the markets, the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) department on Tuesday reactivated its enforcement wing.
Director FCS&CA, Abdul Rashid War, said that the enforcement wing of the department has been reactivated, and teams have been constituted across the Valley. “In the first instance, the teams visited the markets and asked the traders and shopkeepers to display the price list at their respective units,” he said, adding that a warning has been issued and strict action will be taken against defaulters if they fail to comply.
“Nobody will be spared. We will take legal action against those involved in overpricing and disobeying the norms,” he said. “We have sent two to three teams to every district to ensure that price lists are adhered to,” the Director added.
It may be recalled that on March 1, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, while chairing a review meeting, directed FCS&CA and other allied departments to act tough against traders exploiting the common people.
Pertinently, the KNO has already reported that in the absence of government regulations, prices of essential commodities have skyrocketed in Kashmir, and the lack of quality checks has added to consumer insecurities.
The FCS&CA Department, which previously regulated prices and checked the quality of essential items like bread, mutton, vegetables, and milk, lost its authority after the markets were decontrolled in the Valley. (KNO)
