Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said that an estimated 182 lakh hectares of crops were affected in the country due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms in the country. In a written reply, he told Lok Sabha that affected states include Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Mr Jaitley, however, said that surplus stocks of food grain would help the country deal with the situation.
He said, Food Corporation of India sells surplus wheat and rice stock in the open market under Open Market Sale Scheme to moderate retail prices in deficit states. He said, about 42 lakh tonnes of wheat have been sold in the open market. Mr Jaitley also said that the government has taken various measures to curb inflation, particularly food inflation. He said, the Centre has allocated more rice to below poverty line(BPL) and Above Poverty Line (APL) families in states.