Bhopal, Aug 24 - Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has received a pat on the back from Congress president Sonia Gandhi for his action against hoarders, official sources said.

Chouhan is emboldened by the Congress chief's praise for his measures against sugar hoarders and is now mulling the idea of starting a helpline for people to complain against hoarders and officials.

At a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) last week, Sonia Gandhi praised Chouhan for taking action against hoarders and hoped that Congress-ruled states would follow suit.

'Chouhan at a review meeting with officials of the food and civil supplies department late Saturday praised Sonia Gandhi's gesture, saying it was a sign of healthy politics. He also emphasised on a helpline, so that anyone could register his complaint related to the sugar crisis or its black marketing,' an official said.

The chief minister, while speaking to reporters later, said that the toll free helpline number would help anyone who wants to register a complaint against traders or officials.

Meanwhile, having seized more than 45,000 quintals sugar in raids at 425 spots so far, the state government has claimed that the action helped in bringing down the retail price of sugar by almost Rs.