Centre plans to roll out price stabilisation fund in December

NEW DELHI: Prices of potatoes, pulses, tomatoes, onions and several other perishable goods will not shoot up next summer as usually happens between July and November, with the Centre planning to roll out a price stabilisation fund by next month that will intervene in markets when key commodities suddenly get expensive. A task force of officials from departments of agriculture, food and commerce, led by the department of consumer affairs is working on finalising the modalities, a senior government official privy to the deliberations said on condition of anonymity. 

"We expect the task force to finalise the contours of the fund soon," the official said, adding that the fund is being proposed as a bridge fund that will meet the difference between purchase cost and selling prices and support distribution and sale of sensitive commodities by state governments.