Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Wednesday announced that her government has made elaborate arrangements to sell good quality, nutritious whole wheat flour or atta at 132 centres across the Capital and resume sale of four popular pulses at revised rates from 288 Mother Dairy outlets.
Stating that both these articles would be made available from this coming Saturday, the Chief Minister said the Government has stepped in to mitigate the impact of the rise in the prices of food items. With the wholesale and retail price of wheat and flour going up sharply in the past three months, the Chief Minister said the move was aimed at benefiting the people.
With the price of wheat going up from Rs.13.90 per kg to Rs. 14.50 per kg and that of flour from about Rs.14 per kg in September to Rs.17.50 per kg in the retail market, she said it has been decided to package and distribute whole wheat fortified flour packed in 10 kg bags through 84 outlets of Kendriya Bhandar, eight outlets of National Consumer Cooperative Federation and 40 selected outlets at the circle offices of the Food and Supplies Department.
Incidentally, the Delhi Government has left the Mother Dairy out of the purview of this flour scheme because it was demanding 5 per cent handling charges. So the flour would be made available through other outlets at Rs.13.90 per kg which is less than the prevalent price of Dara variety of wheat that is selling at Rs.14.50 per kg in open market.
Noting that the price of this flour has been kept much less than other brands, the Government said 10 kg bags of other brands are selling for nearly Rs.60 more at Kendriya Bhandar outlets.
Noting that ration cards would not be required for the purchase of this reasonably priced wheat flour, the Chief Minister said the Government may come out with 5 kg bags also if it was felt necessary. She also thanked the Roller Flour Mills Association and Union Food and Public Distribution Ministry for facilitating this scheme of sale of whole wheat flour in Delhi.
Delhi Food and Civil Supplies Minister Haroon Yusuf said the quality of flour would conform to specification as laid down under the PFA Act, 1954.
He said the grinding and packaging of wheat -- allocated by the Government of India under its Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) -- has been undertaken in collaboration with Roller Flour Mills Association. The flour is also being fortified with iron and folic acid before being packaged.
While 80,481 metric tonnes of wheat has been allocated by the Ministry of Food and Public Distribution under the OMSS to Delhi at the rate of Rs.1,080 per quintal (100 kg), the landing cost in Delhi after inclusion of transportation charges from Ludhiana worked out to Rs. 1,113.47 per quintal.
As for the availability of pulses, the Chief Minister informed that the Government has decided to resume sale of four popular pulses at revised rates from 288 Mother Dairy outlets. While kala chana will be available at Rs.36 per kg, Kabuli chana will sell at Rs.50, chana dal at Rs.35 and rajma chitra at Rs.44 per kg.
