. The Centre is likely to restart sales of ‘Bharat’ brand atta, rice and pulses very soon as a decision on the maximum retail price (MRP) is expected in a week by the ministerial panel on prices, headed by Home Minister Amit Shah. However, it is learnt that there is a proposal to raise the rates -- atta to ₹300 from ₹275 and rice to ₹320 from ₹295, each for 10 kg bag and that of Chana (gram) dal to Rs 70/kg from ₹60/kg.
Bharat dal (moong) is likely to be sold at same ₹107/kg and Bharat dal (masur) may be added this time with an MRP of ₹89/kg, sources said.
In February, the government started selling Bharat rice at ₹29/kg in 5 kg and 10 kg packs. Sales of Bharat atta started in November 2023 at ₹275 per 10 kg bag. But both rice and atta sales were discontinued in June.
The government is keen to distribute as much rice as possible from the official stock without incurring much expenditure on subsidy, the sources said. Since the stocks in Central Pool are quite high and the fresh purchases have already started for the 2024-25 marketing year (September), there is an urgent need to vacate the warehousing space in the next six months so that new wheat crop is also be stored the sources said.
The government has already started selling rice through weekly e-auction, which has yielded an offtake of more than one lakh tonnes this fiscal year so far.
Meanwhile, consumer cooperative NCCF will conduct an e-auction on Monday. It has invited bids from wheat processors/traders through the NCDFI e-Markets portal. Bidders will quote the price for processing/ milling, packing, and transportation of atta in 10 kg and 5 kg consumer packets for Pan-India at various locations within a stipulated period.
“Only those bidders who have submitted the duly signed copy of the contract note shall be permitted to participate,” it said in the notice. It also has said that the raw stock of wheat (from FCI) shall be released against 100 per cent advance amount deposited by the bidder and the cost of raw material is considered Rs 2,065/quintal for this purpose.
The government has already fixed the wheat rate at ₹2,300/quintal for supply to NCCF and other cooperatives for the direct sale of Bharat atta to consumers. However, to cover the expenses of the cooperatives, the government also allows a fixed subsidy from the Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF) so that they can conform to the MRP. “In case of atta, the cooperatives may have to seek a subsidy of ₹235/quintal from PSF,” an official said.
An official of a consumer cooperative said that his organisation is ready for the sales plan and can start in two days once the government told it to restart the sales. “Our vendors have also been informed accordingly as they have to take the grains from FCI warehouses for processing and packing,” he said.