Bharat atta sale: Centre launches sale of wheat at concessional rates to protect consumer

Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal on Monday launched the sale of 'Bharat atta' (India wheat flour), in a bid to ensure the stabilisation of essential commodity prices to protect the interest of the consumer. As part of the scheme, the minister flagged off 100 mobile vans from Kartavya Path in New Delhi for the sale of wheat flour.

Bharat atta price

The Bharat brand wheat flour will be available at a maximum retail price (MRP) of up to Rs 27.5 per kilogram, according to an official statement.

Bharat atta sale | Here are 10 key things to know about the Bharat atta (India wheat flour) sale: 

• The retail sale of Bharat atta is set to increase the supply of the grain in the market at affordable rates, and, in turn, help in the continued moderation of prices, the consumer affairs ministry said.
• With the launch of the Bharat atta sale, consumers can get wheat flour, dal and onions from these outlets at fair and affordable prices.
• The wheat flour will also be available at the physical and mobile outlets operated by cooperatives Kendriya Bhandar, National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NACMF), and National Cooperative Consumers Federation (NCCF) from Monday, November 6. The sale will be expanded to the outlets of other cooperatives as well.
• The central government's repeated intervention has led to the stabilisation of the prices of essential commodities in the country, Goyal said.
• The Union Minister mentioned similar measures taken with regard to tomatoes and onions in the past. 
• “All these efforts have benefitted farmers a great deal… The produce of farmers is being purchased by the Centre and, thereafter, is being provided to the consumers at a subsidised rate," he added. 
• As part of the sale, 2.5 LMT of wheat, at the price of Rs 21.5 per kg, has been allocated for semi-government, and cooperative organisations Kendriya Bhandar, NCCF and NAFED, under the Open Market Sale Scheme. The wheat will then be processed to make atta and sold under brand Bharat. 
• The government has taken a series of steps to stabilise the prices of essential food grains also ensuring a fair price to the farmers.
• The Centre's policy interventions aim to benefit farmers and consumers alike. For the farmer, it fixes the minimum support prices (MSPs) of food grains, pulses, coarse grains, and millets. 
• The government has significantly increased the total amount of wheat to be offered for sale under the OMSS to 101.5 LMT till March 2024, from 57 LMT till December 2023, as part of a series of measures taken to moderate wheat prices.  

#WATCH | Union Minister Piyush Goyal launched 'Bharat Atta' at Kartavya Path in Delhi pic.twitter.com/VmiNaZSsk6

— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2023