Odisha govt warns of stringent action against hoarders, black marketers

Bhubaneswar: Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak today warned of stringent action against hoarders and black marketers amid flood situation in the state.

Nayak has ordered for the formation of special squads to prevent hoarding and black marketing of essential commodities in the flood-affected districts.

“Some traders and shopkeepers usually resort to hoarding and black marketing of vegetables an essential commodities during natural calamities like flood and cyclone in the state. They create an artificial scarcity of essential commodities in the market and sell the same at high prices. The state Government has asked officials concerned to prevent such illegal practices amid the prevailing flood situation in the state,” said sources from the Food Supplies Department.

Notably, floodwater from Mahanadi and other rivers have inundated many villages in several districts of Odisha including Puri, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Jajpur and Khurda. The situation may aggravate in the next three days, sources said.