NEW DELHI: (AMN) The centre has decided to release huge quantity of food items for the common people. An Empowered Group of Ministers on Food on Tuesday has agreed to release five million tonnes of wheat and rice to states for Public Distribution System. It would be used for both the categories of BPL and APL families.
The ministerial group also decided to continue its ban on the export of pulses for one more year. Speaking to reporters after the meeting of the EGoM, the Food and Consumer Affairs Minister, Sharad Pawar said that the concessions for import of pulses will also continue.
The minister said that stockholding of sugar will continue for three months. The Minister added that this year the production of sugar will be around 245 lakh million tonnes. The meeting was presided over by the Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee. It was held in the backdrop of high prices of vegetables, especially tomato and garlic. Earlier in the day, Cabinet Secretariat also reviewed prices of essential commodities with secretaries of key ministries, including agriculture and consumer affairs.