The increased supply of subsidized staples is contributing to food security and ensuring access to basic needs for all citizens.
The Union government is taking proactive steps to bolster the availability and affordability of essential commodities, including Bharat Atta and Bharat Dal, the subsidised brand encompassing wheat flour and lentils.
This strategic move aims not only to cater to the public’s needs but also to mitigate the impact of rising food prices. An informed source has disclosed that an inter-ministerial group focused on inflation management has greenlit the diversion of an additional 400,000 tonnes of wheat for the government’s Bharat Atta brand, accessible in cooperative stores nationwide.
Furthermore, the inter-ministerial group has approved the release of an extra 2.5 million tonnes of wheat for open-market sales auctions, a measure aimed at stabilizing prices, as mentioned by the aforementioned source. The government is also contemplating offering rice as a subsidized staple through cooperative stores for all consumers or implementing restrictions on the quantity of grain traders can stock at any given time, both aimed at enhancing supplies, according to the source.
Notably, consumer prices, primarily driven by food items, saw a 5.55% increase in November, ending a three-month decline, as per official data. Cereal prices remained in double digits at 10.27%, while pulses, a crucial protein source for many Indians, rose by 20.23%.
Recognizing the disproportionate impact of higher food inflation on less affluent households, given their larger share of monthly income allocated to food expenses, the government is actively addressing these concerns. Rohit Kumar Singh, the consumer affairs secretary, highlighted the enhanced retail network through mobile vans of NAFED, NCCF, and state-controlled cooperative stores, providing increased convenience for consumers to access the Bharat Atta and Bharat Dal brand.
As part of its efforts to combat inflation, particularly in cereals and pulses, the government has introduced distinct labelling and style for its subsidised wheat, branded as Bharat Atta. Additionally, it is marketing affordable pulses under a similar brand. Despite recent moderation in prices, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das cautioned about India’s vulnerability to food-price shocks from extreme weather events and global factors, emphasizing the persistent risks of “recurrent and overlapping” food-price spirals.
Earlier, the Union government launched the Bharat Atta brand, a packaged wheat flour accessible to consumers across all economic classes. Furthermore, the government continues to provide free cereals, amounting to 5 kg per person monthly, to nearly 800 million eligible beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act.
Under the Bharat Atta initiative, approximately a quarter of a million tonnes of state-owned wheat will be released to Kendriya Bhandar, a network of state-owned cooperative general stores, and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) and the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation (NCCF). Wheat flour, branded as Bharat Atta, are being sold at a discounted price of ₹27.50 per kg, compared to the market price of ₹32-34 per kg. Similarly, lentils under the Bharat Dal brand, such as yellow peas, is available at up to 50% lower cost, priced at ₹60 per kg. This initiative not only ensures accessibility but also promotes affordability for the benefit of the general public.
