Government Resumes ‘Bharat’ Brand Pulses Sales to Ease Consumer Costs Ahead of Diwali

In a move to alleviate the financial burden on consumers, particularly those who spend a significant portion of their income on food, the Indian government on Wednesday relaunched the sale of pulses under the ‘Bharat’ brand. This initiative aims to boost the supply of pulses to consumers during the festive season leading up to Diwali.

Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi inaugurated Phase II of the program, announcing that chana (whole) will be sold at ₹58 per kilogram and masoor dal at ₹89 per kilogram. These products will be available through cooperative networks including the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF), the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), and Kendriya Bhandar.

Details of Phase II

Under Phase II, approximately 3 lakh tonnes of chana from the government’s buffer stock will be processed into chana dal and chana (whole) for retail sale at ₹70 per kilogram and ₹58 per kilogram, respectively. In the previous phase, chana dal was priced at ₹60 per kilogram.

The Bharat brand moong dal will continue to be sold at ₹107 per kilogram. This phase also introduces masoor dal to the lineup, priced at a maximum retail price of ₹89 per kilogram.

As of October 22, official data indicates that the all-India average retail price for chana dal is about ₹95 per kilogram, moong dal is ₹116 per kilogram, and masoor dal is ₹90 per kilogram. Tur dal and urad dal, priced at ₹162 per kilogram and ₹125 per kilogram respectively, are not included in the Bharat Dal program.

Minister Joshi emphasized the government’s commitment to making essential food items affordable. “Direct interventions through retail sales of basic food items like rice, atta, dals, and onions have helped maintain stable prices,” he said.

The government is also engaging with e-commerce platforms and major retail outlets to enhance the accessibility of Bharat dal products.

Price Stabilization Efforts

“We are releasing pulses at subsidized rates from the buffer stock created under the Price Stabilization Fund scheme,” Joshi told the media after launching mobile vans distributing pulses across Delhi. He expressed optimism about this year’s pulse production, noting that the government has significantly increased minimum support prices.

Anice Chandra Joseph, Managing Director of NCCF, stated that while distribution has begun in Delhi, it will soon expand to Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, with nationwide coverage expected within ten days.

The government initially launched Phase I of the Bharat brand sales of essential commodities like atta, rice, and dal in October last year, which concluded in June.

In addition, the government continues to implement price interventions for onions and tomatoes, selling them directly to consumers at ₹35 per kilogram and ₹65 per kilogram, respectively, through cooperatives and other agencies.

Addressing Grain Stockpile in Punjab

On a related note, Minister Joshi discussed plans to address the grain stockpile in Punjab, which has hindered paddy procurement and raised concerns among farmers. “We have prioritized the evacuation of stock from Punjab and Haryana,” he said, highlighting that a comprehensive space-creation strategy has been shared with the state government.

“We have provided a detailed plan to the Punjab government on creating storage space. The highest number of railway rakes have been allocated,” Joshi added. He reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to purchasing the targeted 185 lakh tonnes of paddy (equivalent to 124 lakh tonnes of rice) from Punjab during the current marketing season, which began on October 1.