Produced by: BT Desk Designed by: Manoj Kumar
India has introduced 'Bharat rice' at a subsidised rate of Rs 29 per kg to cushion a nearly 15 per cent rise in retail prices of the grain in the last one year.
The subsidised rice, available in 5 kg and 10 kg packs, is part of Centre's plan to go retail with the sale of FCI rice
To check inflationary trends in the food economy, Centre decided to start retail sale of ‘Bharat Rice’ to general consumers. In the first phase, 5 LMT of rice has been allocated for retail sale under ‘Bharat Rice’ brand through 3 agencies viz NAFED, NCCF and Kendriya Bhandar.
The Bharat Rice will be available for purchase from mobile vans and physical outlets of the three central co-operative agencies to start with, and it will also be available through other retail chains including e-commerce platforms very soon.
The Centre in November last year launched "Bharat Atta", which is being sold via cooperatives NAFED, NCCF and Kendriya Bhandar via 800 mobile vans and 2,000-odd outlets spread across the country.
Centre is also providing Bharat Dal at Rs 60 per kg and onion at Rs 25 per kg through Kendriya Bhandar, NAFED and NCCF to provide relief to consumers.
Rice will be made available to consumers at the subsidised rate through Price Stabilisation Fund, which was set up in 2014-15.
Retail prices of rice are yet to be under control despite restrictions on exports and bumper production in 2023-24. The government has asked retailers, wholesalers, processors and big retail chains to disclose their stocks to check hoarding.