Lok Sabha Question No. 4356 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-28
Subject: Price Rise of Essential Commodities
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: BHARATI DHIRUBHAI SHIYAL, SADASHIV KISAN LOKHANDE, S.P. MUDDAHANUMEGOWDA, SUBHASH PATEL, SAKSHI SWAMI MAHARAJ

## Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution

## Government of India Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4356

TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.03.2017

## PRICE RISE OF ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES

4356.  DR. BHARATIBEN D. SHYAL: SHRI SADASHIV LOKHANDE: SHRI S.P. MUDDAHANUME GOWDA: SHRI SUBHASH PATEL: DR. SWAMI SAKSHIJI MAHARAJ:

## Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there has been continuous rise in prices of essential items including wheat, onion and oil etc. and if so, the steps taken by the Government on urgent basis to effectively control the price-rise in the interest of common man;
- (b) whether the Government is considering to make available wheat, onion and oil etc. in retail stores, throughout the country to contain price rise and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether any step has been taken to strengthen the Public Distribution System to control the inflation in food prices and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d) whether almost 40% rise in the prices of vegetables particularly of onion and potato has been registered from May, 2016 and if so, the details thereof, vegetable-wise; and
- (e) the reasons for the rapid rise in prices of vegetables particularly of onion and potato along with the details of the steps taken by the Government to control the price rise of vegetables?

## ANSWER

miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k jkT; ea=h ¼Jh lh- vkj- pkS/kjh½

## THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)

(a) :  Prices of groundnut oil, vanaspati, soya oil, sunflower oil and palm oil increased while prices of wheat, mustard oil and onions decreased over the last one year. The details prices of of some of the essential commodities are given at Annexure.

Government  has  taken  various  measures  from  time  to  time  to  stabilize  prices  of  essential food  items  which  inter-alia,  include  creation  of  buffer  stock  of  pulses  for  effective  market intervention; appropriately utilizing trade and fiscal policy instruments like import and export duty, Minimum Export Price, export restrictions etc.to regulate domestic availability and moderate prices; imposition of stock limits, provision of higher Minimum Support Prices to incentivize farmers for increasing production etc.

- (b) :  No such proposal is under consideration of the Government.
- (c) : The Government enacted the National Food Security Act in 2013, which provides for coverage of two-thirds of the population of the country for receiving highly subsidised foodgrains @ Rs. 1/2/3 per kg for coarse grains/wheat/rice.

The  Act  is  being  implemented  in  all  the  States/UTs  and  covers  about  80  crore  persons  to receive highly subsidised foodgrains as per the provisions of the Act.

- (d)  &  (e)  :  The  prices  of  onions  and  potatoes  as  on  23 rd March,  2017  was  lower  than  prices prevailing on the corresponding day of May, 2016. The details are given in the table below:

| Vegetables   | Daily Average Retail Price ( ₹ /kg)   | Daily Average Retail Price ( ₹ /kg)   | Daily Average Retail Price ( ₹ /kg)   |
|--------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
|              | On 23/03/2017                         | on 23/05/2016                         | %Variation                            |
| Potato       | 13.47                                 | 19.56                                 | -31.13                                |
| Onion        | 14.66                                 | 15.63                                 | -6.21                                 |
| Tomato       | 16.98                                 | 30.15                                 | -43.68                                |

Source: State Civil Supplies Department

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## STATEMENT  REFERRED  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED  QUESTION NO4356 FOR 28.03.2017 REGARDING PRICE RISE OF ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES.

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| Commodities   | All India Daily Average Retail Price ( ₹ /kg)   | All India Daily Average Retail Price ( ₹ /kg)   | All India Daily Average Retail Price ( ₹ /kg)   | All India Daily Average Retail Price ( ₹ /kg)   | All India Daily Average Retail Price ( ₹ /kg)   | All India Daily Average Retail Price ( ₹ /kg)   | All India Daily Average Retail Price ( ₹ /kg)   |
|---------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| Commodities   | Price As On                                     | 1 Year Ago                                      | 2 years Ago                                     | 3 Years Ago                                     | %Variation over                                 | %Variation over                                 | %Variation over                                 |
| Commodities   | 23/03/20 17                                     | 23/03/2016                                      | 23/03/2015                                      | 21/03/20 14                                     | 1 Year                                          | 2 years                                         | 3 Years                                         |
| Rice          | 29.05                                           | 28.57                                           | 27.64                                           | 27.24                                           | 1.68                                            | 5.1                                             | 6.64                                            |
| Wheat         | 24.42                                           | 26.28                                           | 23                                              | 21.76                                           | -7.08                                           | 6.17                                            | 12.22                                           |
| Gram Dal      | 88.4                                            | 66.23                                           | 49.81                                           | 48.6                                            | 33.47                                           | 77.47                                           | 81.89                                           |
| Tur/Arhar Dal | 88.69                                           | 134.98                                          | 82.74                                           | 70.23                                           | -34.29                                          | 7.19                                            | 26.29                                           |
| Urad Dal      | 98.43                                           | 141.26                                          | 80.83                                           | 66.09                                           | -30.32                                          | 21.77                                           | 48.93                                           |
| Moong Dal     | 79.32                                           | 101.37                                          | 100.28                                          | 85.38                                           | -21.75                                          | -20.9                                           | -7.1                                            |
| Masoor Dal    | 74.82                                           | 79.31                                           | 73                                              | 60.28                                           | -5.66                                           | 2.49                                            | 24.12                                           |
| Sugar         | 42.46                                           | 34.72                                           | 32.71                                           | 34.68                                           | 22.29                                           | 29.81                                           | 22.43                                           |
| Milk          | 40.9                                            | 38.87                                           | 38.49                                           | 35.54                                           | 5.22                                            | 6.26                                            | 15.08                                           |
| Groundnut Oil | 133.63                                          | 120.96                                          | 116.61                                          | 120.97                                          | 10.47                                           | 14.6                                            | 10.47                                           |
| Mustard Oil   | 110.12                                          | 113.93                                          | 100.1                                           | 97.98                                           | -3.34                                           | 10.01                                           | 12.39                                           |
| Vanaspati     | 77.93                                           | 72.63                                           | 76.02                                           | 77.33                                           | 7.3                                             | 2.51                                            | 0.78                                            |
| Soya Oil      | 86.31                                           | 79.94                                           | 84.53                                           | 85.67                                           | 7.97                                            | 2.11                                            | 0.75                                            |
| Sunflower Oil | 93.89                                           | 93.86                                           | 93.78                                           | 96.91                                           | 0.03                                            | 0.12                                            | -3.12                                           |
| Palm Oil      | 70.35                                           | 64.91                                           | 68.05                                           | 72.72                                           | 8.38                                            | 3.38                                            | -3.26                                           |
| Potato        | 13.47                                           | 17.52                                           | 15.64                                           | 15.86                                           | -23.12                                          | -13.87                                          | -15.07                                          |
| Onion         | 14.66                                           | 16.87                                           | 23.66                                           | 17.4                                            | -13.1                                           | -38.04                                          | -15.75                                          |
| Tomato        | 16.98                                           | 16.11                                           | 20.37                                           | 15.29                                           | 5.4                                             | -16.64                                          | 11.05                                           |

Source: State Civil Supplies Department.

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