ELECTIONS '98
COMMENTARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
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Rabri lifts ban on sale of mustard oil

The Bihar government has lifted the ban on the sale of mustard oil with immediate effect.

The decision, allowing only sealed government-approved packets to be sold, was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Rabri Devi in Patna.

The ban was imposed in August, following an outbreak of dropsy.

The chief minister directed the state vigilance department to monitor the availability of essential commodities and book the people involved in hoarding and creating artificial scarcity. She asked it to strictly implement the Essential Commodities Act and said wholesalers would be held responsible for any scarcity.

The state government requested the National Agricultural Federation to assist in maintaining the free flow of essential commodities.

Rabri Devi said she proposed to write a letter shortly to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee expressing her concern over the price rise. She alleged that a conspiracy was on to defame the state government by creating scarcity of essential commodities.

The meeting said there was no shortage of essential commodities. All efforts would be made to bring down prices, it added.

UNI

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