Delhi Govt cracks down hard against hoarders

Cracking down on hoarders and black-marketeers, Delhi Government has conducted raids in the capital and recovered huge stock of edible oils, pulses and cereals along with confiscating a whopping 2.5 lakh quintals of rice from a godown in Narela.

"We have registered 35 FIRs against the hoarders and the drive against unscrupulous shopkeepers will continue," Haroon Yusuf, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies said today while expressing hope that the crackdown would help stabilise prices within the next few days.

At a press conference here, Yusuf said the seizure suggested that there was sufficient foodgrains and edible oils. Some of the firms that have been booked were not involved only in hoarding edible oils but also selling it after adulteration.

Yusuf said around 50 teams of the Food and Civil Supplies Department were constituted on Saturday and they raided about 200 godowns in Narela, Shahadra, Lawrence Road, Bawana, Rajouri Gardens and Najafgarh.

"We would not spare anyone found hoarding essential food items to fuel the prices. We will continue the drive and hope the prices will stabilise within next five days," he said.

The government also went after gas-agencies engaged into malpractices following complaints of LPG shortage in the city.

Of 97 gas agencies inspected, 48 were prosecuted, east Delhi and South West Delhi topping the list of offenders, while 20 FIRs were registered against the LPG gas agencies for allegedly diverting domestic cooking gas for commercial purpose.