Karnataka free to purchase rice from open market: Piyush Goyal

Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh had also demanded rice from the Centre and were refused, the union minister said.

Union Commerce and Food Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said Karnataka is free to purchase rice from the open market and distribute it instead of criticising the Central Government.

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has refused to provide rice to several states from its stocks to ensure that the price of the grain does not increase in the open market and people continue to get it at affordable rates, Goyal told reporters here.

"A committee of secretaries on June 8 decided that the stock of rice at central reserves be kept to serve 140 crore people of the country and states can purchase the rice from the market if they need," he said.

Read | Karnataka sees protests as Congress, BJP spar over rice supply

"The Central has received demands for rice from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh. Various states keep demanding rice in huge quantities. But we have refused to give rice to all of them," he said.

“We want the rice stock which is with India (government)...so that there is no rise in price (of rice) in the country and the rice is sold at a cheaper rate in the open market in every nook and corner of the country. The country's 140 crore people have to buy rice,” the minister added.

The FCI releases surplus grains from its stocks under the open market sale scheme (OMSS) to increase the supply of wheat and rice and control price rise in the open market.