Bhubaneswar: In response to the ongoing security crisis in West Asia, Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi has directed district collectors to maintain a strict 24-hour vigil to ensure the uninterrupted supply of essential commodities across the state.
During a virtual meeting held at Lok Seva Bhawan on Monday, the Chief Minister instructed district-level enforcement squads to remain in active mode to prevent any artificial price hikes or supply disruptions.
Addressing the collectors, Chief Minister Shri Majhi emphasized the need for regular market inspections to curb black marketing and illegal hoarding. He directed officials to take stern action against unscrupulous traders who might attempt to exploit the international situation to inflate prices. This move follows a high-level discussion on March 27, where Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi urged state leaders to work in a Team India spirit to navigate the global crisis.
The Chief Minister stressed the importance of a coordinated approach among various departments. He called for the active functioning of crisis management groups at both state and district levels to monitor the availability of fuel, LPG, fertilizers, and food items. He specifically instructed officials to keep a close watch on social media to identify and penalize individuals spreading rumors or creating a sense of panic among the public.
To prevent panic buying, the state government has advised district administrations to launch awareness campaigns to reassure citizens about the stability of stock levels. During the session, Principal Secretary of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare, Sanjay Kumar Singh, presented the state’s current mitigation strategies, while various collectors briefed the Chief Minister on localized measures being implemented in their respective jurisdictions.
The meeting was attended by Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Shri Krushna Chandra Patra, Chief Secretary Shrimati Anu Garg, Development Commissioner Shri D.K. Singh, ACS Home, Shri Hemant Sharma and several other top bureaucrats and police officials, including DGP Shri Y.B. Khurania. The administration remains on high alert to ensure that the global situation does not adversely impact the daily lives of the people in Odisha.