Lok Sabha Question No. 2736 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-08-02
Subject: Price Monitoring Cell
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: DODDAALAHALLI KEMPEGOWDA SURESH

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2736

TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.08.2016

## PRICE MONITORING CELL

2736. SHRI D.K. SURESH:

## 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  set  up  the  Price  Monitoring  Cell  (PMC)  and  if  so,  the details, role, responsibilities and objectives thereof;
- (b) the  details  of  the  essential  commodities  for  which  prices  were  monitored  by  the  PMC during the last three years;
- (c) whether the Government has received all the necessary information on the price trends and  availability  of  essential  food  items  during  the  said  period  and  if  so,  the  details thereof, year-wise; and
- (d) whether the Government has any proposal to set up any effective mechanism to control the  prices  of  essential  commodities  and  ensure  their  availability  to  common  people  at reasonable prices and if so, the details thereof?

## 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) to (c) : The Price Monitoring Cell (PMC), set up in the Department of Consumer Affair is monitoring, on a daily basis, prices of 22 essential food items which includes cereals (rice and wheat),  pulses  (gram,  arhar,  urad,    moong    and    masoor  dal),  vegetables  (potato,  onion  and tomato),  edible  oils  (groundnut,  mustard,  vanaspati,  soya  ,  sunflower  and  palm  oil)  &  others (atta,  milk, sugar, tea, gur and salt). Price trends for  last three years, based on the  information from reporting centres is at Annexure.

- (d) :    The  price  trends  and  availability  of  select  essential  food  items  are  monitored  on regular  basis  at  the  highest  levels,  including  by  Committee  of  Secretaries,  Inter  Ministerial Committee etc. for appropriate policy intervention.

*****

## ANNEXURE

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (c)  OF  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2736 FOR 02.08.2016 REGARDING PRICE MONITORING CELL.

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| Commodities     | All India Average Retail Price (Rs/Kg.)   | All India Average Retail Price (Rs/Kg.)   | All India Average Retail Price (Rs/Kg.)   | All India Average Retail Price (Rs/Kg.)   | All India Average Wholesale Price (Rs/Qtl.)   | All India Average Wholesale Price (Rs/Qtl.)   | All India Average Wholesale Price (Rs/Qtl.)   | All India Average Wholesale Price (Rs/Qtl.)   |
|-----------------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
| Commodities     | Price As On                               | 1 Year Ago                                | 2 years Ago                               | 3 Years Ago                               | Price As On                                   | 1 Year Ago                                    | 2 years Ago                                   | 3 Years Ago                                   |
| Commodities     | 29/7/2016                                 | 29/7/2015                                 | 28/7/2014                                 | 29/7/2013                                 | 29/7/2016                                     | 29/7/2015                                     | 28/7/2014                                     | 29/7/2013                                     |
| Rice            | 27.46                                     | 27.17                                     | 27.76                                     | 26.29                                     | 2467.89                                       | 2454.92                                       | 2495.2                                        | 2353.9                                        |
| Wheat           | 23.42                                     | 22.63                                     | 21.07                                     | 20.83                                     | 2074.4                                        | 2038.76                                       | 1879.33                                       | 1876.95                                       |
| Atta (Wheat)    | 24.86                                     | 24.43                                     | 23.02                                     | 22.85                                     | 2191.82                                       | 2164.64                                       | 2004.94                                       | 2027.29                                       |
| Gram Dal        | 98.58                                     | 60.23                                     | 44.78                                     | 52.43                                     | 9187.88                                       | 5577.76                                       | 3993.18                                       | 4705.13                                       |
| Tur/Arhar Dal   | 137.6                                     | 99.35                                     | 70.14                                     | 68.69                                     | 12860.38                                      | 9421.35                                       | 6533.24                                       | 6429.29                                       |
| Urad Dal        | 149.86                                    | 99.03                                     | 73.14                                     | 58.98                                     | 14054.55                                      | 9428.14                                       | 6823.9                                        | 5415.35                                       |
| Moong Dal       | 95.68                                     | 98.74                                     | 87.64                                     | 74.14                                     | 8759.13                                       | 9245.65                                       | 8184.38                                       | 6899.21                                       |
| Masoor Dal      | 85.88                                     | 82.87                                     | 66.77                                     | 58.3                                      | 7924.65                                       | 7841.95                                       | 6195.07                                       | 5375.72                                       |
| Sugar           | 40.14                                     | 28.67                                     | 36.25                                     | 36.17                                     | 3754.43                                       | 2585.85                                       | 3388.38                                       | 3383.18                                       |
| Milk (per ltr.) | 40.26                                     | 39.2                                      | 37.72                                     | 33.78                                     | 3706.34                                       | 3699.65                                       | 3656.62                                       | 3310                                          |
| Groundnut Oil   | 134.76                                    | 121.11                                    | 119.21                                    | 129.98                                    | 12788.08                                      | 11500                                         | 11114.15                                      | 12125.74                                      |
| Mustard Oil     | 109.09                                    | 102.84                                    | 93.49                                     | 98.23                                     | 10124.72                                      | 9567.35                                       | 8569.36                                       | 8983.88                                       |
| Vanaspati       | 74.03                                     | 74.25                                     | 76.76                                     | 71.41                                     | 6894.21                                       | 6844.33                                       | 7079.22                                       | 6640.81                                       |
| Soya Oil        | 82.73                                     | 82.78                                     | 83.84                                     | 84.44                                     | 7690.74                                       | 7552.73                                       | 7853.03                                       | 7859.35                                       |
| Sunflower Oil   | 95.41                                     | 93.07                                     | 94.22                                     | 99.33                                     | 8968.41                                       | 8768.7                                        | 8841.74                                       | 9276.35                                       |
| Palm Oil        | 68.46                                     | 65.64                                     | 68.86                                     | 67                                        | 6391.47                                       | 6088.8                                        | 6477                                          | 6389.66                                       |
| Gur             | 42.93                                     | 40.06                                     | 40.37                                     | 41.37                                     | 3832.51                                       | 3535.12                                       | 3601.18                                       | 3763.55                                       |
| Tea Loose       | 199.25                                    | 204.55                                    | 203.38                                    | 201.47                                    | 18104.11                                      | 18637.94                                      | 18507.91                                      | 18192.94                                      |
| Salt Pack       | 14.49                                     | 14.83                                     | 14.75                                     | 13.58                                     | 1243.33                                       | 1276.73                                       | 1287.56                                       | 1161.26                                       |
| Potato          | 22.89                                     | 15.9                                      | 24.27                                     | 18.02                                     | 1833.68                                       | 1227.61                                       | 1955.2                                        | 1402.06                                       |
| Onion           | 17.21                                     | 32.24                                     | 29.61                                     | 31.96                                     | 1298.03                                       | 2748.82                                       | 2412.35                                       | 2694.65                                       |
| Tomato          | 35.95                                     | 28.86                                     | 52.59                                     | 37.45                                     | 2929.08                                       | 2276.11                                       | 4350.39                                       | 2956.7                                        |

Source: State Civil Supplies Department.