Government subsidized wheat,rice rates to continue till 2018

The prices of subsidised wheat and rice, given at Rs 2 and Rs 3 per kg respectively to 81 crore people in the country, will not be reviewed till 2018, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ramvilas Paswan said there was a provision for revision of the prices of food grains every three years in the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013. “However, we have decided to continue the present scheme till 2018,” he said during Question Hour.

Under the scheme, rice is supplied at Rs 3 per kg, wheat at Rs 2 per kg and coarse grains at Rs 1 per kg. Paswan also said it was the responsibility of the state governments to ensure that no one remains in hunger and the Centre was doing its best to properly implement the scheme. The minister said in order to augment the storage capacity in the country, the government formulated Private Entrepreneurs Guarantee (PEG) Scheme in 2008-2009 for construction of storage capacity through private entrepreneurs, Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) and state government agencies.