Lok Sabha Question No. 631 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-20
Subject: Prices of Consumer Products
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Pratima Mondal

## Government of India Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 631

TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.07.2022

## PRICES OF CONSUMER PRODUCTS

## 631. SHRIMATI PRATIMA MONDAL:

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

- (a) the steps taken by the Government to curb the rising prices of basic consumer products; and
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  formulated  a  plan  to  make  the  products  accessible  to  marginalized communities at discounted rates, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k jkT; ea=h (श्री अश्विनी क ु मार चौबे)

## THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a)    &  (b)  :    The  Department  of  Consumer  Affairs  monitors  the  daily  retail  and  wholesale  prices  of  22 essential  food  commodities  submitted  by  the  184  price  monitoring  centres  that  have  been  set  up  with Central assistance by State Governments and UT Administrations across the country.

Taking into account price trends, the Government takes various measures from time to time to augment domestic availability and stabilize prices of essential food commodities and make them accessible to the consumers, including marginalised communities, at affordable prices. These steps, inter alia, include releases from the buffer to cool down prices, imposition of stock limits, monitoring of stocks declared by entities  to  prevent  hoarding  as  also  requisite  changes  in  trade  policy  instruments  like  rationalization  of import duty, changes in import quota, restrictions on exports of the commodity etc.

Buffer stocks of pulses and onion are maintained for price stabilization. The procurements for the  buffer  gives  support  to  farmers  and  releases  from  the  buffer  augment  availability  in  the  market  and cools down the prices for consumers. A buffer stock of 2.50 Lakh Metric Tons (LMT) onion has been built in 2022-23 by procuring rabi-2022 harvest. The stocks from the buffer will be released in a targeted and calibrated manner during lean season (Aug - Dec) to contain price rise.

In  order  to  ensure  smooth  and  seamless  import  of  pulses  to  augment  domestic  availability, import of Tur and Urad has been kept under 'Free Category' till 31.03.2023. In respect of Masur, the basic import  duty  and  Agriculture  Infrastructure  and  Development  Cess  (AIDC)  have  been  brought  down  to zero. In order to improve the domestic availability and to keep prices of edible oils under control, the basic duty on Crude Palm Oil, Crude Soyabean Oil and Crude Sunflower Oil has been reduced from 2.5% to Nil, and the AIDC on these Oils has been brought to 5%. The basic duty on Refined Soyabean oil and Refined Sunflower Oil has been reduced from 32.5 % to 17.5% and on Refined Palm Oil reduced from 17.5% to 12.5%. The Government has extended the import of Refined Palm Oils under Free Category for a period upto  31.12.2022.  Further,  futures  trading  in  mustard  seed  on  NCDEX  has  been  suspended.  In  order  to ensure  the  smooth  availability  of  edible  oils  and  oil-seeds  in  the  country,  the  Government  has  imposed stock limits on Edible Oils and Oilseeds for a period up to 31st December 2022. In its latest initiative to ease the prices of Edible Oils and provide relief to the consumers, the Government has issued Notification for allocation of Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) for import of 20 LMT of Crude Soyabean Oil and 20 LMT of Crude Sunflower Oil for the financial year 2022-23 and 2023-24 at zero import duty and zero AIDC.

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