Lok Sabha Question No. 954 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-08
Subject: Illegal Trade Practices
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Dileshwar Kamait

## Government of India

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 954 (OIH) TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.02.2023

## ILLEGAL TRADE PRACTICES

954. SHRI DILESHWAR KAMAIT:

(OIH)

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 the Government has formulated any concrete scheme to put a check on unfair and illegal trade practices such as hoarding, profiteering and curtailing for the benefit of farmers in Bihar, if so, the details thereof, district-wise;
- (b) whether the Government is solving the problems of farmers through monetary policies, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has established Price Monitoring Centre in Bihar also, if so, the details thereof, district-wise; and
- (d) the  number  of  godowns  for  storage  of  foodgrains  in  Bihar  and  the  capacity  of  such  godowns district-wise?

## ANSWER

## miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k jkT; ea=h ( lk/oh fujatu T;ksfr )

## THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)

(a)  : The  Essential  Commodities  Act  (EC  Act),  1955  and  the  Prevention  of  Black  marketing  and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, (PBMMSEC Act), 1980 provide the legislative and administrative foundation to control hoarding and black-marketing of essential commodities. Powers to control  hoarding,  black  marketing  etc.  under  these  Acts  have  been  delegated  to  States/  UTs.  State/UT Governments are advised/sensitized from time to time to take appropriate action against hoarding & blackmarketing and enforce the two Acts, effectively.

## ORIGINAL IN HINDI

(b) : Under the existing Priority Sector Lending (PSL) guidelines issued by the Reserved Bank of India (RBI),  lending  to, inter  alia ,  agriculture  is  treated  as  priority  sector  lending.  The  RBI's  PSL  directions mandate all commercial banks, including private banks, to earmark a sub-target of 18% out of their total credit for agriculture out of which a sub-target of 9.5% has been fixed for small and marginal farmers. The Government  has  introduced  the  Kisan  Credit  Card  (KCC)  scheme,  which  enables  farmers  to  purchase agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, etc. and draw cash to meet their agricultural and consumption needs. The KCC  scheme has since been simplified with facilities like one-time documentation, built-in cost escalation in the limit and facility of ATM enabled debit card etc. Government also implements a Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS) under which short term crop loans up to Rs.  3.00  lakh  are  provided  to  farmers  at  a  reduced  interest  rate  of  7%  per  annum.   Besides,  additional incentive of 3% is given to the farmers for prompt repayment of the loan, thereby reducing the effective rate of interest to 4%. Under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, an income support of 6,000/- per year in three equal installments is provided to all land holding farmer families. The fund is directly transferred to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.

(c) : Price  Monitoring  Centres  are  set  up  in  all  the  38  districts  of  Bihar  and  the  prices  of    essential commodities  reported  by  these  centres  feed  into  the  central  database  of  Price  Monitoring  Cell  of  the Department of Consumer Affairs. The list of Price Monitoring Centres in Bihar is given at Annexure-I.

(d) : District-wise list of godowns in Bihar and corresponding capacity in MT is given at Annexure-II.

***

## ANNEXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO PART (C)  OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 954 FOR 08.02.2023 REGARDING ILLEGAL TRADE PRACTICES

## Details of Price Monitoring Centres in Bihar

|   S. No. | District Name      | Price Monitoring Centre Name   |
|----------|--------------------|--------------------------------|
|        1 | ARARIA             | Araria                         |
|        2 | ARWAL              | Arwal                          |
|        3 | AURANGABAD         | Aurangabad                     |
|        4 | BANKA              | Banka                          |
|        5 | BEGUSARAI          | Begusarai                      |
|        6 | BHAGALPUR          | Bhagalpur                      |
|        7 | BHOJPUR            | Bhojpur                        |
|        8 | BUXAR              | Buxar                          |
|        9 | DARBHANGA          | Darbhanga                      |
|       10 | GAYA               | Gaya                           |
|       11 | GOPALGANJ          | Gopalganj                      |
|       12 | JAMUI              | jamui                          |
|       13 | JEHANABAD          | Jehanabad                      |
|       14 | KAIMUR (BHABUA)    | Kaimur                         |
|       15 | KATIHAR            | Katihar                        |
|       16 | KHAGARIA           | Khagaria                       |
|       17 | KISHANGANJ         | Kishanganj                     |
|       18 | LAKHISARAI         | Lakhisarai                     |
|       19 | MADHEPURA          | Medhepura                      |
|       20 | MADHUBANI          | Madhubani                      |
|       21 | MUNGER             | Munger                         |
|       22 | MUZAFFARPUR        | Muzaffarpur                    |
|       23 | NALANDA            | Nalanada                       |
|       24 | NAWADA             | Nawada                         |
|       25 | PASHCHIM CHAMPARAN | West Champaran                 |
|       26 | PATNA              | Patna                          |
|       27 | PURBI CHAMPARAN    | Motihari                       |
|       28 | PURNIA             | Purnia                         |
|       29 | ROHTAS             | Rohtas (Sasaram)               |
|       30 | SAHARSA            | Saharsa                        |
|       31 | SAMASTIPUR         | Samastipur                     |
|       32 | SARAN              | Saran                          |
|       33 | SHEIKHPURA         | Sheikhpura                     |
|       34 | SHEOHAR            | Sheohar                        |
|       35 | SITAMARHI          | Sitamarhi                      |
|       36 | SIWAN              | Siwan                          |
|       37 | SUPAUL             | Supaul                         |
|       38 | VAISHALI           | Vaisahli                       |

## ANNEXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO PART (D) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 954 FOR 08.02.2023 REGARDING ILLEGAL TRADE PRACTICES

## District-wise list of number of godowns and capacity of godowns in Bihar

| Sl. No   | District    | No.of Godowns   | Capacity of Godowns (In MT)   |
|----------|-------------|-----------------|-------------------------------|
| 1        | Araria      | 264             | 58,990.00                     |
| 2        | Arwal       | 216             | 47,103.00                     |
| 3        | Aurangabad  | 460             | 159,200.00                    |
| 4        | Banka       | 185             | 38,100.00                     |
| 5        | Begusarai   | 111             | 19,480.00                     |
| 6        | Bhagalpur   | 147             | 24,430.00                     |
| 7        | Bhojpur     | 284             | 60,310.00                     |
| 8        | Buxar       | 191             | 33,525.00                     |
| 9        | Darbhanga   | 205             | 32,290.00                     |
| 10       | E.Champaran | 384             | 81,035.00                     |
| 11       | Gaya        | 630             | 138,810.00                    |
| 12       | Gopalganj   | 213             | 34,100.00                     |
| 13       | Jamui       | 195             | 37,650.00                     |
| 14       | jehanabad   | 239             | 54,090.00                     |
| 15       | Kaimur      | 410             | 149,720.00                    |
| 16       | Katihar     | 189             | 29,500.00                     |
| 17       | Khagaria    | 89              | 13,160.00                     |
| 18       | Kishanganj  | 219             | 34,975.00                     |
| 19       | Lakhisarai  | 95              | 24,150.00                     |
| 20       | Madhepura   | 163             | 37,720.00                     |
| 21       | Madhubani   | 357             | 57,365.00                     |
| 22       | Munger      | 117             | 25,850.00                     |
| 23       | Muzaffarpur | 341             | 62,850.00                     |
| 24       | Nalanda     | 324             | 83,675.00                     |
| 25       | Nawada      | 86              | 86,800.00                     |
| 26       | Patna       | 638             | 158,660.00                    |
| 27       | Purnia      | 255             | 51,300.00                     |
| 28       | Rohtas      | 944             | 308,660.00                    |
| 29       | Saharsa     | 146             | 32,300.00                     |
| 30       | Samastipur  | 373             | 69,650.00                     |
| 31       | Saran       | 240             | 39,200.00                     |
| 32       | Sheikhpura  | 62              | 16,250.00                     |
| 33       | Sheohar     | 56              | 8,060.00                      |
| 34       | Sitamarhi   | 252             | 40,450.00                     |
| 35       | siwan       | 459             | 84,539.00                     |
| 36       | Supaul      | 237             | 56,625.00                     |
| 37       | Vaishali    | 99              | 15,500.00                     |
| 38       | W.Champaran | 284             | 47,450.00                     |
|          | Total       | 10,459          | 23,53,522.00                  |

Source: Food & Consumer Protection Department, Govt. of Bihar