Rice price rises, but Food Minister begs to differ

Down by Rs 8 per kg: Halappa

If you find purchasing rice is pinching your pocket, then call Food & Civil Supplies Minister Hartal Halappa. Because, according to him, the price of rice has down by Rs 8 to 10 a kg!
Interacting with media persons on Wednesday in Bangalore, the Minister said that the price of rice has reduced drastically. However, he did not say where rice is available at reasonable rates.

The minister said once the State government purchases a product in bulk, the price of that particular commodity comes down in the market. It had happened in case of rice and palm oil.

The State purchased 80,000 tonnes of rice at the rate of Rs 18 per kg from the Centre to distribute among the ration card holders. Once the stock reached the State, price of rice came down. 

He said that the State purchased 6,000 tonnes of palm oil a few years ago, then price of the product had come down in the market. “Similarly, this time also price of rice has come down. Price of rice which was Rs 33 per kg a week ago had come down to Rs 22 to Rs 25 per kg,” he said.

When reporters asked Halappa to give the addresses of those shops where rice was available at the prices which he quoted, he had no answer. Instead, he asked the reporters to go around the market and check for rice price and compare the same with that of previous weeks.

When his attention was drawn on Andhra Pradesh government’s ban on export of rice to bring down the price, he said that Karnataka High Court had stayed such a move following a petition by traders during the rule of the previous government. The government would make efforts to vacate the stay and then consider imposing  a ban on export of rice.

Ration cards

The government had distributed 28.38 lakh ration cards in the last 10 months. All card holders were being provided with rice and kerosene.

The minister said that the department had made progress in taking photographs of BPL families possessing ration cards. 1.03 crore families had been photographed.

Merchants prove him wrong

Food & Civil Supplies Minister Hartal Halappa says the price of rice has come down. But Bangalore Wholesale Foodgrain and Pulses Merchants’ Association says, “Actually the price has gone up.” According to R C Lahoti, president of the association, wholesale price of sona masuri (old and new) has gone up by Rs 2 per kg this week, compared to the price that prevailed last week. He said, “The price of old sona masuri rice was Rs 36 per kg in April end. Now it stands at Rs 38.50 per kg. Similarly the price of old sona masuri has gone up from Rs 28 to Rs 30.50 per kg.”