Lok Sabha Question No. 583 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-03
Subject: Price Monitoring System
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri Rahul Kaswan

## Government of India

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 583 (OIH) TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.12.2025

## PRICE MONITORING SYSTEM

## 583. SHRI RAHUL KASWAN:

(OIH)

## Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of daily price monitoring system used by the Government to monitor wholesale and retail prices of pulses, edible oils and other essential commodities in Rajasthan;
- (b) the details of interventions such as stock limits, import policies, buffer stock releases etc.,implemented during the last one year to control rising prices;
- (c) whether any Central assistance is proposed for local processing units, warehousing and supply chain improvements to increase the availability of pulses and edible oils in Rajasthan and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether any investigations, raids or stock audits have been conducted against wholesalers and mills to curb price increase and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the Government plans to expand schemes like the 'Bharat Dal Yojana', 'Sasta Tel Kendra' to Rajasthan to provide pulses and oils at affordable prices to consumers?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI B.L.VERMA)

- (a)  : Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution monitors the daily prices of 38 food commodities, including pulses, edible oils and other essential commodities, submitted by the 575 price reporting centres across the country, including 32 centres located in Rajasthan. In pulses, the daily retail and wholesale prices of Gram dal, Tur dal, Urad dal, Moong dal and Masur dal are monitored and in case of edible oils, the daily retail and wholesale prices of Groundnut Oil, Mustard Oil, Vanaspati, Soya Oil, Sunflower Oil, Palm Oil are monitored.
- (b)  : In  order to  prevent hoarding  and unscrupulous speculation, and also to improve affordability to the consumers, the Government imposed stock limits on Tur and Chana from 21 st June, 2024 till 30 th September, 2024 under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. To augment availability, the import of Tur and Urad under 'free' category has been extended till 31 st March, 2026. In respect of Chana and Masoor import duty of 10% has been imposed; and on Yellow Peas import, 30% duty has been levied from 1 st November, 2025 in view of the substantial moderation in the prices of these pulses. During 2024-25, stock of pulses from the buffer has been released through open market sale, supplies to States for their welfare schemes and retail intervention through Bharat Dal mechanism. Under the Bharat Dal mechanism, part of the stock of pulses from the buffer were converted to dals for retail sale to the consumers at discounted prices under the Bharat Dal brand during 2023-24 and 2024-25.

To moderate prices of edible oils, the Government rationalised Basic Custom Duty for Crude Edible oils (Crude Soybean Oil, Crude Palm Oil and Crude Sunflower Oil) from 20% to10% w.e.f 30 th  May, 2025 which makes the effective duty on Crude Oils at 16.5% (including 5% AIDC). For Refined oils (Refined Soybean, Refined Palm Oils, And Refined Sunflower Oil) the Basic Custom Duty has remained the same at 32.5%, making the effective duty on refined oils 35.75%. The rationalisation of import duty on edible oils by lowering the  import  duty  on  crude  oils  reduced  the  landed  cost  and  retail  prices  of  edible  oils  and  also  encourages domestic oilseeds production and refining industry.

(c)  : The  Ministry  of  Food  Processing  Industries  (MoFPI)  through  various  initiatives  and  schemes  like Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY), Prime Minister Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) and Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industries (PLISFPI) for the overall development of food processing provides financial assistance for creation of modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet. The infrastructure created and assistance provided aims at providing better returns to farmers, creation of employment opportunities, reducing wastage, increasing the processing level and enhancing the export of the processed foods.

(d) & (e) : The stock of pulses held by various entities like traders, millers, importers, big chain retailers are monitored  through  online  stock  discloser  portal.  Directives  are  issued  to  States  and  UTs  to  monitor  the disclosure of pulses stocks by various entities and  to submit action taken reports on the implementation of Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and Prevention of Black marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act (PBMMSEC Act), 1980. In a concerted effort to ensure that the benefits of recent import duty reductions on edible oils are passed on to consumers, Department of Food and Public Distribution, conducted nationwide  inspections  of  Edible  Oil  Refineries  to  ensure  that  the  price  reduction  is  passed  on  to the Consumers. The inspections were aimed at reviewing the impact of recent duty reductions on the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) and the Price to Distributor (PTD) of refined edible oils such as Refined Sunflower Oil, Refined Soybean Oil, and RBD Palmolein. A majority of the inspected units have already reduced both MRP and PTD in response to the reduction in landed cost of imported crude edible oils, made possible due to the recent rationalization of import duties.

Bharat Dal mechanism has been discontinued from 1 st April, 2025 in view of the substantial moderation in the retail prices of pulses. At present food inflation measured by year-on-year variation in Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) is under control low at (-) 5.02% in October, 2025. In view of the significant moderation in overall food price inflation, there is no proposal  to initiate retail interventions in pulses and edible oils for consumers across the country, including in Rajasthan.

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