Govt may allow wheat import by private sector
New Delhi: The Union Agriculture and Food Minister, Sharad Pawar, said the Central government was considering allowing the user industries to directly import wheat under the Open General Licence (OGL) scheme.

Pawar said, "We are seriously considering allowing imports by actual users such as biscuit and bread manufacturers, and flour millers under the OGL.'' He said a decision had not yet been taken on whether such imports by the user industries would be allowed duty-free.

The Minister said the decision to allow the private sector to go in for import would be in addition to 3.5 million tonnes (mt) shipments already cleared by the Union Government. Contracts have been signed with Australia's AWB Ltd to import 0.5 mt wheat and of this 50,000 tonnes landed in Chennai this week.
The canalising agency for this purpose would be the State Trading Corporation, he said adding that the global tender for the remaining 3 mt wheat import would be finalised within a week.
Back to News Review index page