Rajasthan: Markets closed in protest against stock limit order
Grain market, oil crushers and oil pulse mills began a two-day strike from Tuesday in protest against the Rajasthan government decision to impose a stock limit on oilseeds and oil.
Grain market, oil crushers and oil pulse mills began a two–day strike from Tuesday in protest against the Rajasthan government decision to impose a stock limit on oilseeds and oil.
Rajasthan Khadya Padarth Vyapar Sangh president Babu Lal Gupta said Rajasthan is the largest producer of mustard in the country; it produces 35 lakh tonne of mustard and 14 lakh tonne of mustard oil. Rajasthan produces maximum mustard in the country, but mustard oil is used in Assam, West Bengal and Bihar, while people of Rajasthan use soyabean and other oil.
The Rajasthan government on Monday evening imposed a stock limit on oilseeds and oil in order to curtail the increasing prices of these commodities and crack down on hoarding.
He demanded the government should take back the order of imposing stock limit, as this is of no use in relevance to Rajasthan.
Gupta said oil mills in Rajasthan hardly use 20% of the mustard produced in the country. Now with this order they will not be able to keep more stock and their production will reduce, which will lead to unemployment.
Sangh president said this stock limit will also affect the farmers, as they will sow less mustard, as now grain merchants will not buy mustard from the farmers due to the stock limit and government has its limit to buy mustard on minimum support price. The farmers will get less price for the mustard, he added.
He said with the closure of mandis, oil mills and dal mills in the state, business of `1,700 crore per day has been affected.
Gupta said “a meeting has been called on Wednesday in which all dealers and grain merchants will decide the future course of action”.
There are 247 grain mandis in the state along with 250 oil mills, 350 dal mills and around 12,000 oil crushers.
The state government on Monday evening imposed the stock limit on oilseeds and oil in which a wholesaler can keep maximum stock of 1,000 quintals of oilseeds and 100 quintals of oil, while a retailer can keep maximum stock 100 quintals of oilseeds and 10 quintals of oil. This order will be effective till September 30, 2016.
According to the government order, the oilseeds include mustard, raida, toria, til, alsi, taramira, soyabean, groundnut, any other edible oilseed and imported oilseeds. Similarly, oil include mustard, raida, rapeseed, taramira, toria, soyabean, til, groundnut, sunflower, ricebran, cottonseed, hydrogenated vegetable oil, alsi oil and imported edible oil.
In Kota, the strike was observed in Bhamashah Mandi and other Mandis of the region remained closed on Wednesday.