Price shock likely for consumers as J-K Govt ends regulation of mutton prices

SRINAGAR — The Jammu & Kashmir Government will not regulate the prices of mutton in the Union Territory from now onwards.

The Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs of J&K Government on Tuesday directed the Directorates of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Jammu/Srinagar, all district administrations and other enforcement agencies, who are regulating prices of livestock products, to refrain from issuing any order on regulating prices of mutton.

The government decided against regulating the prices of mutton after the Centre communicated to it that the notification under which the powers were delegated to Jammu & Kashmir Government for regulating certain commodities is no longer valid.

“…..the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, GOI vide its communication No. S-15/1/2023-ECR&E, dated 20.04.2023 clarified that any order issued by quoting S.O 145(E) dated 15.02.1990 is based on an order that is no longer valid and applicable, as such, the Ministry advised the Food Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department, J&K to issue necessary directions to all concerned authorities to refrain from issuing or enforcing any order quoting S.O. 145(E) dated 15.02.1990,” the notification states, as per the news agency KNO.

The Centre issued the clarification after the J&K’s Agriculture Production Department asked it whether the notification under which the powers were delegated to the Government of Jammu and Kashmir for regulating the commodities specified in the schedule(s) to the said notification was valid.

The J&K Government also repealed ‘The Jammu and Kashmir Mutton (Licensing and Control) Order, 1973’. The order provided that “no person shall carry on the business of mutton as a wholesaler, broker or a retailer except under and in accordance with a license issued on this behalf by the Licensing Authority”. The prices of mutton were also regulated under the order.