Secretary, Food & Public Distribution, Discusses with State Officials to Ensure Consumers Reap Benefits of Wheat Price Decline

In an effort to address the rising prices of wheat and ensure its easy availability in the market, Secretary of Food and Public Distribution, Sanjeev Chopra, held a virtual meeting with Food Secretaries of various states. The focus of the meeting was the recent notification of the Wheat Stock Limit Order on June 12, 2023, and its compliance.

This move comes on the heels of the central government's decision to impose stock limits on wheat, applicable to wholesalers, traders, retailers, big chain retailers, and processors, in order to prevent hoarding and speculation.

As part of the measures to regulate the market, the government has also decided to offload wheat and rice under the Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic) - OMSS (D). These initiatives aim to stabilize prices and ensure transparency in the availability of wheat. To achieve this, the central government has directed the states to gather information regarding the stock of wheat held by wholesalers, traders, retailers, big chain retailers, and processors. This will help identify any unfair practices and bring more transparency to the wheat market.

To facilitate the submission of stock data, a user manual has been shared with state governments, outlining the process for filling up the necessary information on the Department of Food and Public Distribution's portal (https://evegoils.nic.in/wsp/login). Wholesalers, traders, retailers, big chain retailers, and processors who exceed the prescribed stock limits have been given a 30-day deadline to bring their stocks within the specified limits.

The central government has instructed all states and union territories to ensure that relevant entities subject to the stock limits declare and update their wheat stock positions regularly every Friday on the designated portal. This will enable the authorities to closely monitor the compliance with the central government's order issued on June 12, 2023. Access to the portal will be granted to the entities affected by the stock limits, while state government authorities will have oversight of the disclosed stock information.

During the meeting, the central government also announced its decision to offload 15 LMT (lakh metric tonnes) of wheat in the first phase, as well as rice, under the OMSS (D). These additional steps are expected to further stabilize the prices of wheat and rice, as well as the products derived from them. The government aims to ensure that consumers have access to these essential food grains at affordable prices.