Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday, 18 May directed district officials across the state to intensify surveillance of essential commodity prices, warning that the government will not tolerate any unfair escalation and that violators face stringent penalties, including cancellation of trade licences.

What the Chief Minister Said

Sarma, posting on social media platform X, stated that the government and administration are keeping “a close eye on the market” to protect consumers from abnormal price hikes. “Our Govt and administration is keeping a close eye on the market and will not allow any unfair price rise,” he wrote. He added: “I have instructed officials in every district to keep a tab on prices of items and take stringent actions against any defaulter.”

Key Directives Issued

During a review of the state’s price monitoring mechanism, Sarma instructed Deputy Commissioner-led District Monitoring Committees to convene within the next three to four days to assess prevailing market conditions. He also made the display of both retail and wholesale prices mandatory at all shops and wholesale outlets, aiming to ensure transparency and curb arbitrary pricing.

Sarma further directed Deputy Commissioners to hold weekly review meetings with chambers of commerce and trade bodies to track market trends and address supply and pricing grievances. Officials confirmed that traders found engaging in abnormal price hikes could face cancellation of their trade licences in serious cases.

Field Monitoring and LPG Distribution

The Chief Minister directed officials to undertake intensive field-level monitoring to detect unusual price escalation in local markets. In a separate but related directive, Sarma asked officials to expedite Aadhaar seeding of beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana to eliminate duplicate entries in LPG cylinder distribution and ensure benefits reach genuine consumers.

Why It Matters

The crackdown comes amid broader national concerns over food and fuel inflation, which have periodically strained household budgets across India’s northeastern states. Assam’s supply chains for essential commodities are particularly sensitive to disruptions given the region’s geography. Notably, this is not the first time the Sarma administration has signalled a zero-tolerance stance on profiteering — similar directives were issued during previous periods of price stress. The latest round of enforcement, however, is notably more structured, with formalised committee timelines and mandatory price-display norms.

The government said the measures collectively aim to maintain market stability, check profiteering, and ensure uninterrupted availability of essential goods for the public. How effectively district machinery implements these directives in the coming days will determine whether consumer prices see any meaningful relief.