Mangaluru, DHNS: Food and Civil Supplies Minister U T Khader on Sunday said there is no shortage of salt, sugar and food grains in the state and people should not pay heed to rumours.

Addressing mediapersons here, the minister said there will be an artificial shortage of commodities if people believe rumours and purchase the items in bulk. Production of items such as salt has not stopped and there is enough stock, he said and told people not to panic.

Khader said the Food and Civil Supplies department has formed teams comprising department officials and evaluators, which will conduct raids on wholesale and retail godowns and check for illegal stocking of commodities. Legal action will be initiated against those who illegally stock rice, sugar, oil and other items exceeding 1,000 quintals in wholesale and 100 quintals in retail. Action will be initiated against merchants if they are found to have put stickers on products, mentioning prices higher than the maximum retail price, he added.

The minister said that to check abnormal hike in prices of food grains in the open market, the government would purchase food grains and provide them to the people above poverty line, at the market price fixed.

On scrapping of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 rupee notes by the Union government, Khader said the Centre should take immediate measures to supply enough Rs 100 rupee notes.