The government's fight against inflation does not end there. Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has said that the government may decide to ban futures trading in essential commodities, if the Expert Committee does not submit its report within 10 days.

He added that the government would import 1 million tonnes of edible oil and 1.5 million tonnes of pulses to keep supplies intact.

These imports, he said, would be distributed to the people falling below the poverty line through the PDS (public distribution system). Edible oil sales through the PDS will be subsidised at Rs 15 per litre.