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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Noida airport to begin ops next month with IndiGo flights to Lucknow, Bengaluru
Noida (PTI): IndiGo on Thursday announced that it will start commercial flight operations from the Noida International Airport in Jewar from June 15, becoming the launch carrier for the greenfield airport in western Uttar Pradesh.
The first day flights will be to and fro Lucknow and Bengaluru, the airline said in a statement.
Noida International Airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 28.
IndiGo said it will be the first carrier to start commercial services from the airport, the third in the National Capital Region (NCR).
According to the airline, inaugural flights on June 15 will operate on the Lucknow-Noida-Bengaluru-Noida-Lucknow sector.
As per the announced schedule, flight 6E 2278 will depart from Lucknow at 7.05 am and arrive in Noida at 8.05 am before departing for Bengaluru at 8.35 am and landing there at 11.05 am.
The return flight, 6E 2279, will leave Bengaluru at 3.45 pm and reach Noida at 6.20 pm before departing for Lucknow at 6.55 pm and arriving there at 8 pm.
IndiGo said it will gradually introduce direct flights connecting Noida International Airport to more than 16 destinations across the country, including metro cities such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad, besides tier-2 and tier-3 cities like Amritsar, Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Jaipur, Lucknow, Navi Mumbai, Pantnagar and Srinagar.
The airline said bookings for the flights are being opened in phases through its website, mobile application and authorised travel partners.
Aloke Singh, Chief Strategy Officer of IndiGo, said the airline was pleased to announce the launch of operations from Noida International Airport.
"Strategically positioned on the Yamuna Expressway, Noida International Airport will be the new gateway for western Uttar Pradesh alongside the NCR. As we continue to expand our operations, we remain committed to delivering affordable, on-time and hassle-free travel experiences," Singh said.
IndiGo said the airport is expected to emerge as a major domestic aviation hub and will strengthen connectivity between Delhi-NCR and western Uttar Pradesh through integrated road and rail infrastructure.
