New Delhi: Today, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Piyush Goyal, unveiled the ‘Bharat Rice’ brand at Kartavya Path in New Delhi, initiating a program to provide rice directly to consumers at subsidised rates.
The rice, offered in 5 kg and 10 kg packs, will be available at a subsidised rate of 29 rupees per kg.
In his address to the gathering, minister emphasized the government’s commitment to providing essential commodities at affordable prices. He highlighted that 81 crore people are currently benefiting from free food grains under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), with the scheme extended for the next five years.
Goyal underscored the financial relief provided to poor families, estimating savings of 1500 to 2000 rupees per month through the scheme. He expressed confidence that this initiative would not only uplift the lives of farmers but also provide them with essential security.
Furthermore, Goyal revealed that approximately 27,000 crore rupees from the Price Stabilisation Funds have been utilized to alleviate the burden on farmers and consumers by offering food at subsidised rates.
As part of the launch event, Minister Goyal flagged off vehicles carrying rice to be distributed through various agencies. Minister of States Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti and Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh were also present at the event.
The Food Corporation of India (FCI) will allocate 5 Lakh Metric Tonnes of rice to two cooperatives, namely the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF), along with the retail chain Kendriya Bhandar in the initial phase.
These agencies will further package the rice in 5 kg and 10 kg packets, branding them under “Bharat Rice”. Additionally, the rice will be made available for purchase through e-commerce platforms.
