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Centre asks states to keep prices of essentials under check

In a major decision, significant in view of the mid-term elections, the government today directed state governments and their field agencies to monitor price-trends and take effective steps in keeping the prices of essential commodities under check.

The direction was issued after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Prices, presided over by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

After the CCP meeting, minister of state for agriculture Som Pal said that the government was actively considering a proposal to allow export of wheat in the wake of a bumper crop of more than 72 million tonnes. ''The government will take a decision on the export of wheat soon,'' he said.

The CCP also reviewed the price trends, availability and production of major essential commodities, and expressed its satisfaction. A proposal for continuation of the procurement scheme for rubber was cleared and the State Trading Corporation was authorised to purchase another 20,000 tonnes of rubber at a price not more than Rs 34.05 per kg.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs also approved a plan to increase urea production capacity at the National Fertilizer Limited's Nangal unit by 450 tonnes a day at a cost of Rs 1.43 billion.

UNI

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