No Room For Hoarding: PM Modi Directs Whole-Of-Govt Push To Secure Food, Fuel Supplies

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while chairing a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security on Sunday, called for a whole-of-government push to ensure food and fuel supplies are secured, amid the ongoing war in the Middle East that has disrupted crucial supplies.

Modi has instructed that "all arms of government should work together" to ensure least inconvenience to citizens, the Prime Minister's Office said in a release issued following the CCS meeting. The PM also asked for proper coordination with state governments to ensure no black-marketing and hoarding of important commodities.

During the meeting, the Cabinet Secretary made a detailed presentation on the global situation and outlined the steps already taken and those being planned by various ministries and departments of the Government of India. The CCS discussed the expected impact of the conflict across key sectors of the economy, including agriculture, fertilisers, food security, petroleum, power, MSMEs, exporters, shipping, trade, finance, and supply chains, as well as other affected areas.

The overall macroeconomic scenario and additional measures required to safeguard economic stability were also reviewed.

The committee assessed the likely short, medium, and long-term implications of the Middle East conflict on the global economy and its ripple effects on India. Counter-measures, both immediate and long-term, were deliberated to mitigate potential disruptions and protect domestic interests.

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Focus On Food, Fuel and Energy Security

A detailed assessment was carried out on the availability of essential commodities critical to the common man, including food, energy and fuel. The CCS discussed measures to ensure uninterrupted availability of these essentials and to prevent any shortages.

Special focus was placed on the impact of the conflict on farmers, particularly with regard to fertiliser requirements for the upcoming Kharif season. The meeting noted that measures taken over the past few years to maintain adequate fertiliser stocks would help ensure timely availability and support food security. Options for sourcing fertilisers from alternative suppliers were also discussed to ensure sustained availability in the future.

The committee was informed that sufficient coal stocks are available at power plants across the country, which would ensure there is no shortage of electricity supply.

In view of potential supply chain disruptions, discussions were held on diversifying import sources for critical inputs required by sectors such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals and petrochemicals. At the same time, the development of new export destinations to promote Indian goods in the near future was also considered.

Several proposals put forward by different ministries will be further refined and implemented in the coming days following consultations with all stakeholders.

Modi, the PMO said, called for effective coordination with state governments to "prevent black-marketing and hoarding" of essential commodities, and to ensure that supplies remain stable and accessible across the country.

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