Centre expands 'Bharat' brand to include chana whole and masur dal
New Delhi, Oct 23: The Centre on Wednesday expanded its subsidised pulses programme, adding chana whole and masur dal under the 'Bharat' brand in a bid to check rising prices.
Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi, who launched Phase II of the initiative, said chana whole will be retailed at Rs 58 per kg and masur dal at Rs 89 per kg through cooperative networks NCCF, NAFED, and Kendriya Bhandar.
"We're offloading our buffer stock maintained under the Price Stabilisation Fund at subsidised rates," Joshi said.
The government has allocated 3 lakh tonnes of chana and 68,000 tonnes of moong to the cooperatives.
Ministers of State for Food and Consumers Affairs B L Verma and Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya were present at the launch.
NCCF Managing Director Anice Chandra Joseph said distribution will initially begin in Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra, with nationwide expansion planned within 10 days.
"Chana whole has been added under the subsidised sale programme as there is a huge demand for it. We are in talks with e-commerce platforms and retail outlets to enhance accessibility," she added.
The move follows October 2023's Phase I launch, which covered chana dal, moong dal, and moong sabut, along with rice and wheat flour.
Current rates under Phase I stand at Rs 30/kg for wheat flour (up from Rs 27.50), Rs 34/kg for rice (up from Rs 29), Rs 70/kg for chana dal (up from Rs 60), while moong dal and moong sabut remain at Rs 107/kg and Rs 93/kg, respectively.
The government is also maintaining price interventions for onion at Rs 35/kg and tomato at Rs 65/kg.
The Union Minister hoped for better pulse output this year as the government hiked the support prices of pulses substantially.
Launched the retail sale vans for Bharat Chana Dal (MRP Rs. 70/kg), Bharat Moong Dal (MRP Rs. 107/kg), and Bharat Masur Dal (MRP Rs. 89/kg) for residents of Delhi/NCR at Krishi Bhawan. This initiative, led by @jagograhakjago, aims to reduce the burden of rising pulse prices on… pic.twitter.com/LIws5sFGoX
— Pralhad Joshi (@JoshiPralhad) October 23, 2024
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
