Centre Holds Talks with States to Stabilize Wheat Prices & Ensure Availability

New Delhi: In an effort to regulate Wheat prices and ensure its availability, the Indian government recently engaged in discussions with food secretaries from various states. The focus of the meeting was on the recently implemented Wheat Stock Limit Order and its adherence.

The day prior to the meeting, the government imposed stock limits on various entities including Wholesalers/Traders, Retailers, Big Chain Retailers, and Processors. Additionally, measures were taken to release Wheat and rice through the Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic) – OMSS (D) to stabilize prices and prevent hoarding and speculation.

To promote transparency and discourage unfair practices, the government has instructed states to collect information regarding the stock of Wheat held by Wholesalers/Traders, Retailers, Big Chain Retailers, and Processors. A User Manual has been shared with state governments to facilitate the submission of this data on the Department of Food and Public Distribution’s portal. Entities exceeding the prescribed stock limits have been given 30 days to bring their stocks within the permissible range.

Furthermore, states and Union Territories have been directed to ensure that relevant entities subject to stock limits provide regular updates on their Wheat stock position every Friday through the designated portal. The authorities will have access to monitor the disclosed stocks on the portal.

During the meeting, Secretary of Food and Public Distribution, Sanjeev Chopra, informed the attendees about the government’s decision to release a portion of the Wheat (15 LMT in the first phase) and Rice through OMSS (D). These actions aim to alleviate the increasing prices of Wheat, rice, and their derived products, ensuring that consumers can access these essential food grains at affordable prices.