Govt steps up wheat purchase, says food inflation under check

No plan to lift rice export curbs, no sugar shipments this season

- SANDIP DAS

THE GOVERNMENT HAS decided to expand the wheat procurement drive to more regions, to bolster the stocks that are hovering around the buffer level. However, it won't lift the export restrictions on rice anytime soon or allow shipments of sugar this season, as it remains focussed on containing food inflation.

Food secretary Sanjeev Chopra on Thursday said on Thursday: "While the inflation in wheat has been largely curbed, price rise in rice has plateaued." However, since edible oil prices have declined, there is currently no proposal to reduce its import duties, he said.

Chopra said the government has decided to allocate 0.3 MT of grain for the current fiscal under Bharat rice and atta initiative against an allocation of 0.15 MT last fiscal.

Under the Bharat rice and atta initiative, agencies such as Nafed and NCCF are selling atta and rice at ₹27.50/kg and ₹29/kg respectively in the retail market.