Govt Launches Phase-II of Subsidized Bharat Atta and Bharat Rice Retail Program

Under this initiative, Bharat Atta is priced at Rs. 30 per kg, and Bharat Rice is available at Rs. 34 per kg, offering consumers essential food items at subsidized rates.

In a significant step toward providing affordable food essentials, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and New & Renewable Energy, Shri Pralhad Joshi, launched Phase-II of the retail sale of Bharat Atta and Bharat Rice. The launch event, held in the presence of Minister of State Shri B.L. Verma, featured the flagging off of mobile vans operated by the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation (NCCF), National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), and Kendriya Bhandar to distribute these products.

Under this initiative, Bharat Atta is priced at Rs. 30 per kg, and Bharat Rice is available at Rs. 34 per kg, offering consumers essential food items at subsidized rates. Shri Joshi emphasized that this effort reflects the government’s dedication to ensuring accessible, affordable staple foods for the public. He noted that direct retail interventions through Bharat-branded products, including rice, atta, and dal, have contributed to price stability for essential items.

In the initial stages of Phase-II, a substantial stock of 3.69 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) of wheat and 2.91 LMT of rice will be available for sale. During Phase-I, the government facilitated the retail distribution of approximately 15.20 LMT of Bharat Atta and 14.58 LMT of Bharat Rice, making affordable food staples widely available to consumers.

Bharat Brand Products Available Through Multiple Channels

Phase-II makes Bharat Atta and Bharat Rice available in 5 kg and 10 kg bags through an expanded distribution network, including Kendriya Bhandar, NAFED, NCCF outlets, mobile vans, and major e-commerce platforms and retail chains. This approach aims to increase accessibility and convenience for consumers nationwide, with mobile vans particularly enhancing reach in remote and underserved areas.

Government Commitment to Paddy Procurement in Punjab

In addition to the Bharat retail initiative, the Union Minister provided an update on paddy procurement in Punjab for the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2024–25. Shri Joshi affirmed the government’s commitment to achieving its procurement target of 184 LMT of paddy in Punjab, ensuring that all grains brought by farmers to local mandis are purchased. As of November 4, 2024, 104.63 LMT of paddy has arrived in Punjab mandis, with 98.42 LMT already procured by state agencies and the Food Corporation of India (FCI).

The procurement rate is set at a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs. 2320 per quintal for Grade ‘A’ paddy as determined by the Government of India. The government has spent a total of Rs. 20,557 crores in the ongoing KMS, directly benefitting 5.38 lakh farmers in Punjab. Payments have been credited to the farmers’ bank accounts, reinforcing the government's commitment to supporting the agricultural sector through fair and timely compensation.

This initiative to provide Bharat-branded food items at subsidized rates, alongside the robust procurement support for paddy, underscores the Union Government's focus on ensuring food security, stabilizing prices, and boosting the incomes of farmers across the country.