By IANS,
New Delhi : The government will spend Rs.15 billion on supplying edible oil at subsidised rate through the public distribution system in 15 states from next month.
One million tonnes of imported edible oil will be made available at a subsidised rate of Rs.15 per kg, and each ration card holder woyuld be entitled to buying one kg per month, an official release said here Friday.
Public sector undertakings (PSUs) such as MMTC, State Trading Corporation and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (Nafed) will import, refine, package and distribute the commodity to the states.
PSUs have already contracted import of 179,000 tonnes of edible oils for the purpose. Of this, 100,000 tonnes have already been shipped to Indian ports.
The 15 States participating in the scheme are Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Orissa, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and West Bengal.
The decision comes after a nearly 23 percent rise in prices of edible oils in the country that has burned a hole in consumers’ pocket.