The Centre has announced a series of measures to check prices of cereals, fruits and vegetables. It has also asked the states to crack down on hoarders.

The host of measures to tame inflation was taken at a high-level meeting of Ministers and Secretaries called by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley last evening.

The Centre has also asked the states to delist fruits and vegetables from the Agricultural Produce Market Committee list, allowing farmers to sell their produce directly in the open market. Briefing media persons after the meeting, Mr Jaitley said, there are 22 commodities which are under active observation of the government.

Mr Jaitley said, the government has also decided to release an additional 50 lakh tonnes of rice to states for sale in the open market at above poverty line rate of 8.30 rupees per kg and allowed states to directly import pulses and edible oils to meet shortages.

The government has imposed a minimum export price, MEP of 300 dollar per tonne on onion to curb overseas sales and check retail prices. A commerce ministry notification said that export of all onion varieties will be subject to the MEP of 300 dollar per tonne.

The MEP, which is the rate below which no exports are allowed, has been re-introduced barely three months after the previous government had abolished it in March. Onion prices have risen to about 25-30 rupees per kg in the national capital from 15-20 rupees per kg a fortnight ago.

Auction of onions at Nashik in Maharashtra will resume today after a gap of two days after traders called off their strike last evening. Our Correspondent reports that differences over how much wages should be paid to porters led onion traders to go on strike.

The Congress came down heavily on the Bharatiya Janata Party for being unable to curb inflation in the country.
Congress Spokesperson Ajay Maken said that BJP has changed its stand on inflation after coming into power.