Piyush Goyal, who heads the food and consumer affairs ministry, has affirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring stable prices for essential food items. Goyal emphasized the Modi government’s dedication to preventing spikes in prices, particularly during elections, to alleviate any financial strain on households, especially women.
Goyal highlighted the government’s substantial investment of around Rs 28,000 crore in the price stabilisation fund over recent years to combat food inflation. He reiterated the government’s proactive stance, pledging continued support to ensure a better household budget for women.
With the Lok Sabha elections anticipated in April-May, the government is gearing up to maintain price stability for essential food items like onions, tomatoes, and pulses. Goyal cited the government’s swift intervention during past instances of price fluctuations, ensuring that prices returned to normal levels promptly.
For instance, when adverse weather conditions led to a surge in tomato prices in certain regions, the government swiftly intervened by procuring tomatoes from other areas to stabilize prices nationwide. Similar proactive measures were taken during periods of onion and pulse price hikes.
To further ease the burden on consumers, Goyal highlighted the introduction of Bharat Chana daal at Rs 60 per kg, Bharat Atta at Rs 27.50 per kg, and Bharat rice at Rs 29 per kg for sale in the open market, which has had positive effects on prices.
Moreover, Goyal assured that the government remains proactive in addressing challenges such as lower onion output in 2023–24. He emphasized the government’s extensive network of outlets, including those managed by NCCF, NAFED, and Kendriya Bhandar, as well as its collaboration with e-commerce platforms, to ensure the availability of subsidized essential items like pulses, wheat flour, and rice to the public.