December 30, 2025 10:09 am (IST)

Make this your homepage

News

Bangladesh’s first female Prime Minister Khaleda Zia passes away at 80 | India rejects Pakistan’s Christmas vandalism remarks, cites its ‘abysmal’ minority record | Minority under fire: Hindu houses torched in Bangladesh village | Supreme Court puts Aravalli redefinition on hold amid uproar, awaits new expert committee | Supreme Court strikes! Kuldeep Sengar’s bail in Unnao case suspended amid public outcry | From bitter split to big reunion! Pawars join hands again for high-stakes civic battle | CBI moves Supreme Court challenging Kuldeep Sengar's relief in Unnao rape case | Music under attack: Islamist mob attacks James concert with bricks, stones in Bangladesh, dozens hurt | Christmas vandalism sparks mass arrests in Raipur; Assam acts too with crackdown on 'religious intolerance' | BJP's VV Rajesh becomes Thiruvananthapuram Mayor after party topples Left's 45-year-rule in city corporation

Govt taking steps to contain price of essential food items says minister

India Blooms News Service | | Mar 04, 2016, at 09:28 pm

#Food and Public Distribution # Ram Vilas Paswan

New Delhi, Mar 4 (IBNS) Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ram Vilas Paswan in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on Friday said that the central government has taken a number of steps to improve the availability and to contain prices of essential food items.

These include:-

• National Consultation Meeting of the minister of states/UTs in-charge of Consumer Affairs and Food held on July 7, 2015, at New Delhi resolved to take steps to keep prices of essential commodities, especially Pulses and onion under control.

• Advisory were issued to state governments to take strict action against hoarding and black marketing and effectively enforce the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and the Prevention of Black-marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980.

• Regular review meeting on price and availability situation is being held at the highest level including at the level of Finance Minister, Committee of Secretaries, Inter Ministerial Committee, Price Stabilization Fund Management Committee and other departmental level review meetings.

• Higher MSP has been announced so as to incentivize production and thereby enhance availability of food items which may help moderate prices.

• A Plan scheme titled Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) is being implemented to regulate price volatility of agricultural commodities.

• Export of onion was restricted through imposition of Minimum Export Price (MEP) when prices were ruling high and import is allowed at zero duty.

• Retail sale of onion was undertaken from the stock held by SFAC and NAFED.

• Imported 2000 MT of onion from Egypt and China through MMTC. As no demands from state were received, the onion were disposed off through tender in the open market.

• The stock limits in respect of onion have been extended by one more year i.e. up to July 2, 2016 under the Essential Commodities Act.

• Procurement of 15000 MT of onion by SFAC and NAFED for market intervention during lean period has been approved.

• Export of all pulses is banned except kabuli channa and up to 10,000 MTs in organic pulses and lentils.

• Import of pulses are allowed at zero import duty.

• Stock limit on pulses extended till Sep 30, 2016.

• Government imported 5000 MT of Tur from Malawi/Mozambique and allocated it to States for retail sale to consumers to improve availability and to moderate prices.

• MSP (including bonus) raised for kharif pulses for Tur and Urad and Moong. MSP also raised for rabi pulses for Gram and Masoor.

• Government has approved creation of buffer stock of 1.5 lakh MT of pulses for effective market intervention.

• Export of edible oils in bulk is prohibited except coconut oil and other edible oils in branded consumer packs of up to 5 kgs is permitted with a minimum export price of USD900 per MT.

• MSP increased for various rabi and kharif oil seeds.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.

India
International

Related Images

In images: Amit Shah arrives in Kolkata for a 3-day visit in poll-bound West Bengal Dec 29, 2025, at 09:47 pm

In Images: PM Modi pays heartfelt tribute to Atal Bihari Vajpayee on 101st birth anniversary at Rajghat Dec 25, 2025, at 02:05 pm

In Images: Inside PM Modi’s Christmas visit to Delhi church Dec 25, 2025, at 12:26 pm