Title: Union Food Ministry Open to Policy Adjustments for Open Market Sales Scheme
The Union Food Ministry has expressed its willingness to make changes to the Open Market Sales Scheme (OMSS), following criticism from the Congress party regarding the reluctance of private players to participate in the auction of rice from the Food Corporation of India (FCI).
The Centre recently restricted states from purchasing food grains through the OMSS, leading to accusations that the government was favoring private players over state governments. In response, Union Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra stated that the Centre is aware of the lukewarm response from traders and is closely monitoring the situation. He emphasized that while this may be the first e-auction of rice, the Centre is open to tweaking the policy based on the feedback received.
Chopra clarified, however, that any policy changes must apply uniformly and cannot be altered for specific states or groups of people. Despite the lackluster response to the OMSS auction, Chopra mentioned that more than 15 states, including Tamil Nadu, supported the Centre’s stance during a recent meeting. He urged against becoming disheartened by the initial response, reminding stakeholders that OMSS for rice is a new initiative and initial expectations were higher.
The main objective of the Centre’s move is to signal to the market that the government holds ample stock of rice and is committed to using it in the best interest of the common man to control prices. Chopra emphasized that the government will carefully observe the outcome and avoid rushing into any decisions. He reiterated the Centre’s willingness to make necessary changes to the policy as required.
In a separate development, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh stated that the Karnataka Government will persist in implementing the Anna Bhagya scheme, unaffected by the e-auction’s failure. Ramesh hailed the launch of a cash transfer scheme by the Congress Government in Karnataka as a sturdy response to the Modi Government’s perceived lack of concern for food security among the poor. He pointed out that over 99% of the rice made available for e-auction remained unsold, reinforcing his belief that the central government places more faith in private traders than state governments and the public distribution system.
While the Centre’s OMSS auction failed to generate the anticipated response, it remains to be seen how the government will adapt its policies to address the concerns raised by critics. The Centre’s openness to changes indicates a willingness to fine-tune the OMSS in order to strike a balance between private players and state governments.
