27 Mar 2020

| 05:22am IST

Govt against sourcing essential goods from neighbouring States

Team Herald





PANJIM: As panic over availability of essential goods mounted on the fifth day of curfew, the government conceded that Goa has sufficient stock for about one month or less. The State is reluctant to depend on its neighbouring states where COVID-19 cases are spiralling.

“Goa is not producing any essential goods. We are 100 per cent dependent on Maharashtra and Karnataka, and currently the borders are sealed. I am in constant touch with the traders and dealers, and I think for one month… 15-20 days, we have enough stock available in the State,” Minister for Civil Supplies Govind Gaude told Herald, when he was contacted to know the status of the supply- situation in Goa.

As cases are rising in the two adjoining States, the Goa government is currently not in any mood to depend for additional stock outside the State borders. “We will be utilising the available stock,” he added while revealing about the stock situation at fair price shops. “Our fair-price shops have sufficient rice and wheat for the next two months, but these are only for the ration card holders. The quantity of sugar is not enough at the moment. Sugar is made available to only below poverty line card holders. Since our fair price shops do not sell oil and other essential goods like dal, we are looking at other traders for these stocks,” the minister further said while asking people to not panic buy.

The government, on Thursday, allowed some of the supermarkets and grocery shops to home deliver the goods starting from Friday. Before CM Pramod Sawant announced re-opening of the shops/stores selling essential goods, Gaude had also proposed to keep some of these stores open for limited duration on a daily basis provided it follows mandatory conditions to avoid mass gathering and other health advisories. The Civil Supplies Minister has also put forth the idea to rope-in volunteers for home delivery, on taking all the precautionary measures. The government, an official said, has observed that panic and complaints of shortage of essential goods is mostly witnessed in the urban areas while rural areas are relatively self-sufficient.