By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 30: Facing irregular monsoons, supply-demand imbalances, reliance on imports and high labour, and transportation costs, Meghalaya is experiencing significant price pressures, with increased costs being passed on to consumers. In response, the state government has strengthened its Price Monitoring System to help control inflation.
The Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, through its Price Monitoring System, tracks and reports daily retail and wholesale prices of 22 essential commodities across all districts to keep these items affordable.
A dashboard and a management information system (MIS) tool capture real-time price data from across Meghalaya’s districts and subdivisions, enabling officials to make data-driven decisions.
On Wednesday, a one-day ‘Workshop on Strengthening of Price Monitoring System’ was held to discuss these efforts.
Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister, Comingone Ymbon, said, “We had a workshop to strengthen the price monitoring cell. We discussed this issue thoroughly with all the deputy commissioners present. I don’t want prices to rise excessively, which is why I called for this workshop.”
Acknowledging that inflation affects everyone, Ymbon added that the meeting resolved to request the chief minister to bring together all relevant departments for an in-depth discussion on tackling inflation.
However, such a meeting will only be possible after the chief minister’s return following the upcoming Gambegre by-elections.
It is noteworthy that, effective August 1, 2024, the Government of India expanded the list of monitored commodities from 22 to 38, aligning it with the Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) tracked by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation.
This expanded monitoring is intended to provide a more comprehensive view of market trends and strengthen consumer protection.
