Every year when the prices of the likes of onions, tomatoes and other kitchen staples go up, the government used to invoke the Essential Commodities Act (ECA) to ensure that there was no hoarding of these products which was artificially inflating the prices.
From now on it will not happen as Parliament on Tuesday passed a bill to remove cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onion and potatoes from the list of essential commodities.
The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, which was approved by the lower house on September 15, was approved by a voice vote in Rajya Sabha. The bill replaces an ordinance promulgated in June.
