Kerala: Centre's Bharat Rice sale begins in Thrissur
The sale of the newly introduced Bharat Rice by the Central government began in the Thrissur district of Kerala on Wednesday. The Bharat Rice is sold at Rs 29 per kg.
Thrissur: The central government's subsidised Bharat Rice sale began in the Thrissur district on Wednesday. The price of the rice for 1 kg is Rs 29. In Thrissur, 150 sacks of "Ponni" rice have been sold thus far. The rice was given via NCCF (National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India) shops in the state.
By next week, the NCCF officials said, the government plans to have "Bharat rice" available throughout the state. Loads of trucks and vans transport the rice sacks from godowns to different parts of the state.
As an alternative to the open market, peanuts are also more affordable than rice. Peanuts are priced at Rs 60 per kg, the report said.
Rice and pulses are packed separately from FCI godowns and delivered for distribution and distributed by the Millers Association. Â It is reported that the vehicles will reach all the districts within a week. Earlier, onion was sold at Rs 25 per kg.
Goods are distributed in specially prepared pickup vans. The program started in December 2023 to bring goods to the people at a low price. Nuts, onions and wheat powder were distributed that day. About 100 vehicles were on the road for distribution at that time. Apart from Thrissur, goods were also distributed in Thiruvananthapuram.Â
This program of the central government has been introduced in Kerala in view of the Lok Sabha elections. There is also a peculiarity that the vehicles travel in Thrissur and Thiruvananthapuram constituencies, which have the highest expectations. Top BJP sources are hoping that such vehicles will turn into votes when the common people are struggling due to price hikes.
At the same time, State Food Minister G R Anil alleged that the sale of rice by the Center is political exploitation.