THE MINISTER OF
CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SHRI RAM VILAS PASWAN)
(a) to (e) : A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
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STATEMENT REFERRED IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.*311 FOR 10.12.2019 REGARDING PRICES OF ESSENTIAL FOOD ITEMS.
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(a) : All India Monthly Average Retail Prices of 22 essential food items during the current year are at Annexure. Prices of food items are inter-alia affected by mismatch in demand and supply, shortfall in production owing to adverse weather conditions and seasonality, increased transportation costs, supply chain constraints like lack of storage facilities, artificial shortage created by hoarding and black marketing, etc.
(b) : Yes, Sir, The Operational Guidelines of Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) have been approved and is available at link:https://consumeraffairs.nic.in/sites/default/files/file uploads/price_monitoring/PSF%20Operational%20Guidellines%20DOCA_0.pdf.
The Salient features of the Fund include:
i. Utilization of Funds for price stabilization intervention in potatoes, onions and pulses.
ii. Maintaining strategic buffer for calibrated release during lean period for price intervention for which purchase are undertaken from farmer/ farmer association at farm gate/ Mandi.
iii. Apart from domestic procurement from farmers/wholesale mandis, imports may also be undertaken under PSF for building adequate buffer at reasonable cost.
iv. Grant of interest free working capital advance to Central Agencies, State/UT Governments/Agencies to undertake market intervention operations in case of price volatility in Potato, Onion and Pulses
Creation of buffer stock of pulses and onions under PSF and calibrated releases therefrom has helped in moderating their prices for consumers and has also extended remunerative prices to farmers.
(c) : In National Consultation Meeting (NCM) of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Ministers of State/UT Governments held on 03.09.2019, States were advised to hold meetings to review prices with the dealers of essential food items especially pulses and onions on regular basis, for intervention requirement, if any. The powers of Central Government to control production, supply, storage, price, transport movement etc. as provided under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 are delegated to States/UTs. Union Government has advised States/UTs to effectively enforce stock limit fixed under EC Act. They have also been advised to take anti-hoarding operations against unscrupulous traders of onion so as to keep the prices of onion under control. This enforcement action rests with the States/UTs.
(d) : In addition to system of monthly reporting from the States on the implementation of the Essential Commodities Act which includes figures of raid/inspection conducted, a number of persons arrested, detention order, value of goods confiscated etc., the department also received inputs from time to time from various central agencies on hoarding by some traders. These inputs are shared with the concerned Central Government enforcement agencies as well as State Governments for appropriate action.
(e) : Government takes various measures from time to time to stabilize prices of essential food items which, inter-alia, include appropriately utilizing trade and fiscal policy instruments like import duty, Minimum Export Price, export restrictions, imposition of stock limits and advising States for effective action against hoarders & black marketers etc. to regulate domestic availability and moderate prices. Also, Government incentivize farmers by announcing Minimum Support Prices for increasing production and is implementing Schemes which, inter alia, include Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), National Food Security Mission (NFSM), National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP), etc. for increasing production and productivity through appropriate interventions. Besides, Government is also implementing Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) to help moderate the volatility in prices of agri-horticultural commodities like pulses, onion, and potato. Government banned export of onions and imposed stock limits on traders under Essential Commodities Act on 29.09.19. Government also approved import/procurement of onions for augmenting availability and moderating prices.
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ANNEXURE
ANNEXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.*311 FOR 10.12.2019 REGARDING PRICES OF ESSENTIAL FOOD ITEMS.
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MONTHLY AVERAGE RETAIL PRICES DURING 2019 OF 22 ESSENTIAL FOOD ITEMS MONITORED BY DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS
Unit: ?/ Kg.
Centre January February March April May June July August September October November December (upto 03.12.2019)
Rice 30.09 30.34 30.35 30.41 30.86 31.54 31.68 32.04 32.38 33.11 33.63 33.7
Wheat 25.59 26.22 26.27 25.98 26.14 26.43 26.58 26.95 27.03 28.12 28.26 28.24
Atta (wheat) 27.39 27.78 27.82 27.68 27.81 27.91 27.9 28.38 28.42 29.41 29.78 29.82
Gram Dal 66.43 66.54 65.14 64.83 65.64 66.16 66.14 65.9 65.59 66.25 67.06 67.13
Tur Dal 72.84 74.63 74.89 75.65 79.22 83.22 84.1 85.13 85.94 86.57 88.46 88.5
Urad Dal 71.83 72.2 71.8 71.76 72.38 75.2 74.77 74.91 74.75 78.42 91.4 95.25
Moong Dal 75.75 76.59 76.35 76.55 78.75 81.92 81.7 82.33 83.44 84.64 88.15 89.59
Masoor Dal 61.81 62.76 62.73 61.99 61.87 62.6 62.8 62.71 62.83 63.26 64.67 64.97
Groundnut Oil (Packed) 126.17 126.85 127.24 126.6 127.95 129.05 129.74 130.29 131.3 133.96 134.66 134.68
Mustard Oil (Packed) 108.35 109.41 108.81 108.3 108.52 109.15 109.53 108.64 109.65 111.19 112.52 112.59
Vanaspati Oil(Packed)
80.56 81.22 80.84 80.53 80.25 79.64 79.25 79.36 79.64 80 81.34 81.59
Soya Oil(Packed) 91.21 91.64 92.08 91.84 92.23 92.31 92.06 92.01 92.57 92.51 93.15 92.62
Sunflower Oil(Packed) 98.14 98.3 98.56 98.75 99.31 99.32 99.52 99.59 100.9 101.25 101.72 101.72
Palm Oil(Packed) 75.8 76.39 76 75.02 75.27 74.72 74.61 75.02 76.05 75.92 78.32 80.37
Potato 16.93 16.13 15.35 15.96 16.98 18.2 19.09 19.03 18.9 20.57 22.83 23.34
Onion 18.03 16.48 15.87 16.25 16.96 19.04 21.11 24.82 38.3 47.02 61.08 81.9
Tomato 22.98 19.95 21.84 25.89 32.57 35.89 37.31 38.71 31.2 38.59 38.38 33.27
Sugar 38.25 38.13 38.14 37.96 38.34 38.59 38.56 38.68 39.16 39.41 39.5 39.39
Gur 42.39 42.39 42.78 42.72 43.41 44.42 44.03 44.56 45.17 46.16 46.8 47
Milk@ 42.68 42.76 43.38 43.24 43.47 43.27 43.41 43.5 44.47 44.87 44.97 44.92
Tea Loose 208.22 208.26 209.48 211.3 212.26 213.02 212.19 212.45 213.64 215.25 216.89 217.2
Salt 15.46 15.29 15.3 15.35 15.28 15.38 15.31 15.4 15.48 15.43 15.52 15.55
@ --> Milk Prices- ? per ltr.
Source: - State Civil Supplies Deptt; Developed by:- : National Informatics Centre(NIC)
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