New Delhi: The central government has added another item to its list of subsidized food products, namely ‘Bharat Chawal’, which will be sold at Rs 29 per kg in the retail market. This comes after the successful launch of ‘Bharat Dal’ and ‘Bharat Atta’ in the past few months, which aimed to stabilize the prices of pulses and wheat flour and make them affordable for the common people.
The minister of food, consumer affairs, and public distribution, Piyush Goyal, announced the launch of ‘Bharat Chawal’ from Kartavya Path in Delhi on Wednesday, with the prime minister’s support. He said that the initiative was part of the government’s commitment to provide quality food at reasonable rates to the citizens, especially in the wake of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in April-May.
Goyal said that ‘Bharat Chawal’ was made from high-grade rice procured from the farmers at minimum support price (MSP) and processed at state-of-the-art mills. He said that the rice would be available in packs of 5 kg and 10 kg across the country through various channels, such as the public distribution system (PDS), e-commerce platforms, and cooperative societies.
He also highlighted the success of ‘Bharat Dal’ and ‘Bharat Atta’, which were launched in July 2023 and November 2023 respectively. He said that ‘Bharat Dal’, which offered chana dal at Rs 60 per kg and Rs 55 for a 3 kg pack, had received an overwhelming response from the consumers and had reached more than 3,500 retail outlets, including those catering to the Indian Army, CAPF, and state governments. He said that the government had also decided to convert the moong buffer stock into moong dal and distribute it at subsidized prices, as pulses were a major source of protein and were facing inflationary pressures due to import dependence.
Similarly, he said that ‘Bharat Atta’, which offered wheat flour at Rs 27.50 per kg, had also been well-received by the consumers and had been distributed through semi-government and cooperative bodies like the Kendriya Bhandar, NCCF, and NAFED, who had been allocated 2.5 LMT of buffer wheat stock at Rs 21.50 per kg for conversion into atta.
Goyal said that the government was aware of the impact of inflation on the poor and lower middle classes, and was taking steps to mitigate it through the price stabilization fund, which provided subsidies for essential commodities like dal, atta, and chawal. He said that the government was also working on increasing domestic production and reducing the import dependence of these items, as well as ensuring their quality and safety standards.
He appealed to the people to support the government’s initiatives and buy ‘Bharat Chawal’, ‘Bharat Dal’, and ‘Bharat Atta’ from their nearest outlets and enjoy their taste and nutrition. He said that the government was always ready to serve the people and fulfill their aspirations.
