As the country continues to be in lockdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic, demand and supply of essential commodities remains one of the top priorities for the state governments. To ensure that shopkeepers do not sell these commodities at higher rates, the Andhra Pradesh government has come up with a solution.

At a meeting held last month March 29 Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy asserted that essential goods must only be sold at the prices suggested by the government and said, “Stringent action will be taken against anyone found selling essential commodities above the suggested price. These shops must also display the price list and the number of the call centre to lodge complaints of overpricing.”

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Deputy Chief Minister AKK Srinivas told reporters that the government decided to keep groceries and other shops selling essential commodities open from 6 am to 1 pm during the lockdown period.

Social distancing would be maintained through special marking in Rythu Bazaars (farmers’ markets) for people to buy vegetables, he said, adding that village and ward volunteers were undertaking a survey of each household to assess conditions.

Health staff are being deployed to all districts to take required preventive measures extensively, he said. State Municipal Administration Minister Botsa Satyanarayana spoke to his Telangana counterpart KT Rama Rao on Wednesday night and brought to the latter’s notice the plight of students stranded in Hyderabad.

Botsa said the students were being made to vacate their hostels but they had nowhere to go in view of the lockdown orders and ban on travel. Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney also spoke to her Telangana counterpart Somesh Kumar on the issue.

Following this, the Telangana municipal minister issued instructions that student hostels and post-graduate student mess be kept open. The Andhra Pradesh government also advised the students not to venture out of the hostels and call the helpline number ‘1902’ in case of any trouble.

The state has reported 22 cases of coronavirus and 11 recoveries.