Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) spokes persons Arvind Sanghvi and Hansmukh Patel, in a statement, said the decision was taken without consulting farmers, traders, experts and the people. By doing so, the Government had shown its inexperience in governance, they said.

They said that initially, the Government made inordinate delay in announcing the oil policy which was intentional as ministers were divided over the issue. After much delay, the Government suddenly lifted the restrictions, they said, adding the reason was not known to the people yet. It was an illogical decision, the Congress leaders said.

State RJP general secretary Narsinh Padhiar said, ``The dishonest dealers had made money by illegal export of groundnut and oil even before the curbs were removed.'' In a statement, he said even after the removal of curbs, the Government would not be able to stop the vested interests from exporting a good portion of oil and groundnut.

Expressing fear that oil prices might rise again at the end of the season, Padhiar suggested the State Government should purchase oil in open market and keep a buffer stock. "But instead of doing that, the Government is waiting for Rs 50 crore assistance from the Centre, which is ridiculous".

He wondered how the government would get this aid for maintaining buffer stock of edible oil when it failed to procure even a paisa from the Centre for relief to cyclone and flood victims.

Padhiar said that the measures being taken by the Government to provide relief to the common man would fail unless the Government came up with a comprehensive oil policy, in the absence of which the government had failed to control the oil prices, and small and marginal farmers were for forced to sell stocks at a comparatively lower prices. ``Now only the hoarders will benefit'', he added.