Second phase of retail sale of Bharat brand wheat flour and rice begins

New Delhi| The central government started the second phase of retail sale of wheat flour and rice at concessional rates under the Bharat brand to provide relief to consumers from high prices. However, buyers will get ration at a higher price in the second phase as compared to the first phase.

Ration will be sold through cooperative societies National Cooperative Consumer Federation of India (NCCF), National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), Kendriya Bhandar and e-commerce platforms. In the second phase, wheat flour will be sold in packets of five and 10 kg at the rate of Rs 30 per kg and rice at Rs 34 per kg.

The rates in the first phase were Rs 27.5 and Rs 29 per kg respectively. In the second phase, 3.69 lakh tones of wheat and 2.91 lakh tones of rice have been allocated from Food Corporation of India (FCI). Food Minister Pralhad Joshi, after flagging off the mobile vans of these cooperative societies, said, this will continue until the allotted stock is exhausted. If there is further need, we have sufficient reserves. In the first phase, 15.20 lakh tones of wheat flour and 14.58 lakh tones of rice were distributed from October, 2023 to June 30, 2024.

The first phase of this scheme was launched in October 2023. During that time, retail sale of rice and wheat flour as well as gram dal, moong dal and whole moong was done by the government at affordable rates. Under the first phase, the price of wheat flour of Bharat brand is Rs 30 per kg (above Rs 27.50), rice Rs 34 per kg (above Rs 29), chana dal Rs 70 per kg (above Rs 60), Whereas the price of moong dal and whole moong was fixed at Rs 107 per kg and Rs 93 per kg respectively.