Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a 21-day lockdown from Wednesday to prevent the rising outbreak of Coronavirus. On Wednesday, Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said that in such a situation the government is eyeing the availability of essential commodities in the market. Paswan, during this time, asked manufacturers and traders not to do black-marketing.

He said that the Center is in touch with the State Governments to ensure that there is no shortage of essential commodities. Paswan tweeted, "The Government is constantly monitoring the availability of all essential commodities in the market in the situation arising out of the threat of Corona # Covid19India and is in touch with all the State Governments so that there is no shortage of anything anywhere. There is also an appeal to all producers and traders to avoid profiteering in this hour."

He also said, "There is an appeal to all producers and traders to avoid profiteering in this hour". Meanwhile, in the wake of the Coronavirus epidemic, the Center allowed states and UTs to pick up food grains for three months from the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to distribute food items from ration shops.