E-Paper
One list of essential goods for all states
The list of essential items and transportation norms have been found to vary across states, which tends to clog supplies and spark shortages, the official added.
The Centre is in the process of issuing a comprehensive, indicative list of what constitutes essential commodities and services to all states and union territories to iron out supply chains disruptions caused by the lockdown to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, an official who serves on an interministerial team overlooking coordination with states said, requesting not to be quoted.
Click here for the complete coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic
The list aims to bring inter-state parity of what constitutes essentials, the official said. The list of essential items and transportation norms have been found to vary across states, which tends to clog supplies and spark shortages, the official added.
Currently, all states have exempted transportation of medical supplies, food, pharmaceutical raw materials, including for masks and sanitisers, and petroleum products from the lockdown, the official explained.
However, a review meeting with states showed that some are regulating transportation of supplies according to their own norms which are being enforced by district collectors or magistrates. The review found “bottlenecks” in inter-state coordination. For instance, a state that doesn’t recognize a particular item as an essential item may not allow entry of the item originating in another state. Moreover, inter-state transport permit norms also differ.
“To streamline these bottlenecks, an indicative list of essential items and services will be sent out to states. The transport ministry will also take steps to bring uniformity in land transportation norms,” the official said. The government is looking to amend rules to the Essential Commodities Act to streamline supplies.
The consumer affairs ministry has held a series of video conferences with heads of civil supplies departments of all states to bring about uniformity in supply of essential items. States have been asked to utilize the Essential Commodities Act to crack down on hoarding and black-marketing and have already been given a free hand to impose maximum retail price caps on any item considered necessary, the official said.
