Haryana: Opposition calls hike in mustard oil price anti-poor, demands rollback

A political row has broken out after the Haryana Government ordered a steep hike in the price of mustard oil distributed under the Public Distribution System (PDS) to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. The cost of two litres of mustard oil has been raised from Rs 40 to Rs 100, triggering criticism from the Opposition.

The new pricing, notified by the Department of Food Supplies and Consumer Affairs on Tuesday evening, is set to be implemented during the current distribution cycle.

Opposition parties have termed the decision as “anti-poor”, arguing that it would add to the financial burden on families already reeling under high inflation and recent hikes in electricity tariffs.

“Inflation has already given sleepless nights to common people. After the electricity tariff hike, the state government has now increased the price of mustard oil distributed under PDS to BPL families. It will affect their livelihood,” said Shamsher Singh Gogi, former Congress MLA from Assandh.

Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala also took to social media to denounce the decision.

“This move clearly shows the priorities of the BJP-led government. Instead of providing relief, it has made it a policy to burden the poor. Stripping basic necessities from the poor seems to be this government's main agenda,” Surjewala wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Echoing similar concerns, INLD state president Rampal Majra said the decision further reflects the government's anti-poor mindset.

“The government has already excluded several needy people from the BPL list, and now it has increased the price of mustard oil. It is an anti-common people government,” he said, demanding an immediate rollback and better support for economically weaker sections.

In defence, Haryana PWD and Public Health Engineering Minister Ranbir Singh Gangwa justified the hike, saying the subsidised rate was still far below prevailing market prices.

“People must compare the subsidised rate with the market price. Even now, the rates are lower than market prices,” Gangwa said.