Govt sells 2.76 tonne wheat flour, 297 tonne chickpea and 30,440 tonne onion in retail market to beat price rise
08 Feb 2024
The central government has sold 2,75,936 kg of wheat flour (Bharat Atta), 2,96,802 kg of chickpea (Bharat Dal) and 3,04,40,547 kg of onion at subsidized rates to consumers across the country, in a bid to save them from the steadily rising food prices.
Giving this information in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, minister of state for consumer affairs, food and public distribution, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, said the government has also launched retail sales of rice under ‘Bharat’ brand at Rs29 a kg for general consumers.
Besides, the centre has allocated 6 lakh tonnes of wheat at Rs21.50 a kg to be sold as flour (atta) through semi-government and cooperative organizations like Kendriya Bhandar, National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation (NCCF) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (Nafed) for open market sale to the public at a price not exceeding Rs27.50 a kg.
The objective is to make available atta to general consumers at an affordable rate. Apart from Bharat Atta, the government is selling subsidised Bharat Dal (Chana Dal) and onion through physical/mobile retail outlets of central/state co-operative agencies.
The Department of Food and Public Distribution has directed Food Coprporation of India (FCI) to keep the effective issue price of wheat to NAFED/NCCF/Kendriya Bhandar for Bharat Atta at Rs1,715 per quintal, allowing a subsidy of Rs435 a quintal (to be paid from the Price Stabilisation Fund) on existing reserve price of Rs2150 a quintal.
Bharat Atta is being sold at a Maximum Retail Price not exceeding Rs.27.50/Kg which is lower than the all India average retail prices of Atta.
NAFED/NCCF/Kendriya Bhandar are selling Bharat Atta through their physical retail outlets and mobile vans and also through other retail chains and e-commerce platforms.
As of 1 January 2024, the stock of wheat and rice in the central pool stood at 16.35 million tonnes and 18.18 million tonnes, respectively, which are above the buffer stock norms, the minister pointed out.
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