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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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
