Wheat at Rs 10 isn't impressing consumers much

MALDA, 10 MARCH: The Centre’s decision to distribute wheat to ration card holders at Rs 10 a kg through the public distribution system for eight weeks in the months of March and April is not attracting takers.

According to food and supplies department officials and the ration dealers, the reasons is simple: “ The rate of wheat would be less in the open market than the PDS rate of Rs 10 a kg in the months of March and April”, they said.

The food and supplies department has allotted wheat to the ration dealers for distribution among ration card holders both the APL and BPL categories at Rs 10 per kg in March and April. The Consumers, however, are not interested to buy wheat at that rate.

“The rate of wheat in ration shop is higher than the market rate. The market rate of wheat would come down further in April because wheat harvesting has begun and the flow of supply would increase in the markets in the months of March and April”, said the sub divisional controller of food and supplies in Malda Mr N K Sarkar.

According to him, the policy would have generated interest among the buyers had the Centre supplied the wheat tow months ago.

“At present the dealers are not interested in lifting wheat from us”, officials said.

Acknowledging the problem, a ration dealer Mr Subal Mandal said: “I have issued notice urging customers to buy wheat from our shops as the market price of wheat is lower than Rs 10 a kg”.

To avert the problem, the dealers’ association in Malda has submitted a depuration to the food and supplies department demanding supply of rice through PDS now instead of wheat.

“That would also help control the market price of rice which has been going up rapidly”, the dealers said.

In another development, the food and supplies department has informed the ration dealers that it would not be able to supply sugar for BPL card holders from next week due to lack of supply. The food and supplies department had supplied sugar for BPL beneficiaries the last three weeks.

“The distribution of sugar would be suspended from next week due to lack of stock. We would be able to allot sugar when the Essential Commodity Supply Corporation resumes supply of sugar”, said the F&S sub-divisional controller Mr N K Sarkar.

According to him, the market rate of sugar came down during distribution of sugar thorough the PDS.

“We apprehend the market rate of sugar would increase again,” he added. SNS