Govt to sell 840,000 tonnes wheat to bulk consumers

The Centre on Wednesday decided to sell 840,000 tonnes of wheat to bulk consumers such as flour millers, aiming to check prices during the festive season.

The quantity would be sold by Food Corporation of India (FCI)to traders through tender under the Open Market Sale Scheme(OMSS)during October and November.

However, the government has put condition that the participants in the tender process should have an installed capacity not less than 30 tonnes per month. Maximum quantity of wheat for which bids can be submitted is 1,000 tonnes.

“Flour millers and biscuit and bakery producers can participate in the tender process,” a senior government official said, adding tender would be floated by regional offices of FCI.

On September 17, the government had announced release of 909,000 tonnes of wheat to 35 states and union territories during September and October for sale in the open market directly to consumers to check prices.

Faced with low level of off take by states, the Centre also on Wednesday allowed them to sell wheat via tender to the bulk consumers — small scale wheat processing units having a maximum monthly consumption of 30 tonnes.

“The decision will enable small processors of wheat like bakeries and others to obtain wheat out of allocation made to the state governments,” the official said.

The quantity of allocation ranges from 1,000 to 75,000 tonnes, with Maharashtra topping the chart. The price determined by the FCI for each state varies from Rs 1,021 to Rs 1,358 per quintal of wheat.