Government mulls ‘Bharat Rice’ to tame soaring grain prices

New Delhi, December 27

In another move to address the rising prices of essential food items and combat inflation, the Union Government is contemplating the introduction of ‘Bharat Rice’ at a discounted rate. This initiative follows the successful implementation of discounted rates for ‘Bharat Atta’ and ‘Bharat Dal’.

Though there is no official confirmation made by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Food and Public Distribution in this regard, reports from internal sources suggest that the department was working on this project to launch the scheme through various government agencies, including the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (Nafed), National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Ltd (NCCF), Kendriya Bhandar outlets, and mobile vans.

Non-basmati Rs 42/kg

• As per officials, the move will help lessen the burden on consumers as the prices of the non-basmati rice have crossed Rs 42 per kg
• In November, the rice traders were directed to ensure domestic prices of non-basmati rice were brought down

Currently, wheat flour and chana dal are provided to consumers at concessional rates of Rs 27.50 per kilogram and Rs 60 per kilogram, respectively. These products are distributed at over 2,000 retail points. The distribution model for ‘Bharat Rice’ is expected to replicate the successful approach employed for dal and atta.

As per the officials, the move will help lessen the burden on the consumers as the prices of the non-basmati rice have reached to above Rs 42 a kg. Even last month after a meeting of Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra with the top representatives of the rice processing industry to review the domestic price scenario of non-basmati rice, the rice traders were directed to ensure domestic prices of non-basmati rice were brought down.

Ahead of the next year’s elections, the government had taken a series of measures to tackle food inflation, including the ban on non-basmati rice and sugar exports and the imposition of an export floor price for basmati rice. As per the figures by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Food and Public Distribution, nearly Rs 3.91 lakh crore was spent to provide 1,118 lakh MT of free ration under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana in the past 28 months.

Besides, 360.82 lakh MT of the fortified rice has been lifted by the states and UTs for the targeted public distribution dystem and in other welfare schemes of the Government of India, including ICDS and PM POSHAN, in all states and UTs in a phased manner since 2021. The Union Government has announced that it would provide free foodgrain to about 81.35 crore beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) for a period of five years with effect from January 1, 2024.