Question : Essential Commodities Law

(a) whether the Government has allowed black marketing on a large scale and paved the way for it in the country by making ‘The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Law, 2020‘ because it is meant to remove commodities like cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onion and potatoes from the list of essential commodities and to end the imposition of stock-holding limits except under extraordinary circumstances;
(b) if so, the reasons therefor;
(c) whether it is true that a commodity disappeared from markets and then returned after few days with higher price without any extraordinary circumstances only due to black-marketing; and
(d) if so, the response of the Government in this regard?

THE MINISTER OF STATE
CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SHRI DANVE RAOSAHEB DADARAO)

(a) to (d) : No, Sir. Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 has not removed any commodity from the Schedule of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. State Governments as well as Central Government continue to exercise powers under the Prevention of Black Marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980 which provides for detention in such cases for the purpose of prevention of blackmarketing and maintenance of supplies of essential commodities.

*****