Tamil Nadu Assembly | Government closely monitoring fluctuations in prices of essential commodities: Food Minister

On August 28, 2026, the Tamil Nadu Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, P. Venkataramanan, disclosed that the state government is closely monitoring price fluctuations of 41 essential commodities through the Price Monitoring Committee. He assured that necessary measures are being undertaken to ensure the consistent availability of these commodities. This statement came in response to concerns raised by the Opposition about the increase in prices of essential commodities like sugar, rice, pulses, and cooking oil.

Venkataramanan clarified that the recent rise in essential commodity prices in Tamil Nadu is not an isolated case but is attributed to the impact of the war in West Asia and the consequent surge in fuel prices. He also noted that the price increase has been observed in other states as well. Earlier, Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin had pointed out the sharp rise in the prices of essential commodities in recent weeks and urged the government to implement price control measures.

Stalin listed some steps taken by the DMK government under former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in 2007, which included the introduction of a special public distribution system providing essential commodities to ration card holders at prices lower than market rates.

AIADMK floor leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami echoed similar concerns, stating that the prices of sugar, tamarind, turmeric, and chilli had increased in the last three months, affecting people. He also mentioned the decline in rice supply from Andhra Pradesh.