The Government has approved for the current year i.e. 2014-15 Open Market Sale of ten million tonnes of wheat in the domestic market

The Government has initiated several measures to contain price rise and improve the availability of essential food items. The recent steps taken in this regard are:

Minimum Export Price (MEP) fixed for potatoes at USD 450 per M.T. w.e.f. 26 June 2014 and of onions at USD 300 per M.T. w.e.f. 21 August 2014 respectively.

States have been advised to allow free movement of fruits and vegetables by delisting them from the APMC Act.

Price Stabilization Fund (PSF), a Central Sector Scheme with a corpus of Rs.500 crores to advance interest free loans to States and Central/State agencies to support their working capital and other expenses on procurement, storage and distribution operations for perishable agri-horticultural commodities has been approved.

Government has approved the release of additional five million tonnes of Rice to BPL & APL families in states pending implementation of National Food Security Act (NFSA).

Advisory to State Governments issued to take action against hoarding & black marketing and effectively enforce the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 & the Prevention of Black-marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980.

Authorized States/UTs to impose stock limits in respect of onion and potato for a period of one year with effect from 3rd July 2014 under the Essential Commodities Act.

Authorized States/UTs to impose stock limits from time to time in the case of select essential commodities such as pulses, edible oil, and edible oilseeds for a period up to 30 September 2015.

Based on interaction with the State Governments/UTs on 4th July, 2014, a decision has been taken to amend the Essential Commodities Act to make hoarding and black marketing a non bailable offence and increase the period of detention to one year from existing six months.

The Government has approved for the current year i.e. 2014-15 Open Market Sale of ten million tonnes of wheat in the domestic market.

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