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Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, on Tuesday launched phase 2 of the retail sale of subsidised Bharat Atta and Bharat Rice by flagging off mobile vans here. 

The mobile vans belong to the National Co-operative Consumers' Federation of India (NCCF), the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) and Kendriya Bhandar.

As part of the government’s policy to keep inflation under control, Bharat Atta is being made available to consumers at MRP of Rs 30 per kg and Bharat Rice at MRP of Rs 34 per kg.

While interacting with media persons during the event, Joshi said, “the initiative is an affirmation of the Government of India’s commitment towards ensuring the availability of essential food items to the consumers at subsidised prices. Direct interventions through retail sale of basic food items under Bharat Brand such as rice, atta and dal have helped in maintaining a stable price regime.”

Bharat Atta and Bharat Rice will be available at stores and mobile vans of Kendriya Bhandar, NAFED and NCCF and e-commerce /big chain retailers. ‘Bharat’ brand Atta and Rice will be sold in 5 Kg and 10 Kg bags during phase 2, according to an official statement.

In the initial stage of Phase 2, 3.69 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of wheat and 2.91 LMT of rice are being made available for retail sale. During Phase – I, around 15.20 LMT of Bharat Atta and 14.58 LMT Bharat Rice was made available to general consumers at subsidised rates.

Providing an update on the procurement of paddy in Punjab, the Union Minister said that the Central Government stands committed “to achieve the targeted procurement estimate of 184 LMT in Punjab and procure every single grain brought to mandis by the farmers.”

As of November 4, a total quantity of 104.63 LMT of paddy has arrived in the Punjab mandis, out of which 98.42 LMT had been procured by state agencies and FCI. The paddy is being purchased at MSP of Rs 2,320 per quintal as decided by the Government of India for Grade ‘A’ paddy, the minister said.

The total paddy purchased by the central government till date in the ongoing kharif marketing season 2024-25, amounts to Rs 20,557 crore. This has benefited 5.38 lakh farmers and the MSP amount has been credited to their bank accounts, Joshi added.