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Our Bureau

New Delhi, Sept. 17 In its efforts to keep grain prices under check during the ongoing festival season, the Centre has kick-started its open market sale scheme (OMSS) through release of 9.09 lakh tonnes (lt) of wheat to State Governments and Union Territories.

The entire quantity, allocated for September and October, is earmarked for distribution to retail consumers. The States/UTs have been asked to lift the allocated quantity from the Food Corporation of India’s nearby godowns and sell it to retail consumers through their own corporations / cooperatives / federations / self-help groups or any other Government or semi-Government organisations.

“It may be ensured that wheat released under OMSS is not sold to bulk consumers like roller flour mills, large processors of wheat, etc. Separate guidelines for sale of wheat to bulk consumers are under consideration of the Government and will be issued shortly,” an official release stated here on Wednesday.

The High Level Committee of FCI has fixed the issue prices of the wheat under OMSS at a range between Rs 1,021 a quintal in Punjab/Haryana to Rs 1,239 a quintal in Tripura and Rs 1,358 in Andamans & Nicobar Islands.

Of the total 9.09 lt, the maximum quantity has been allocated to Maharashtra (75,000 tonnes at Rs 1,121 a quintal), followed by Kerala (60,000 tonnes at Rs 1,185), Delhi (50,000 tonnes at Rs 1,027), Madhya Pradesh (50,000 tonnes at Rs 1,078), Karnataka (50,000 tonnes at Rs 1,161) and Tamil Nadu (50,000 tonnes at Rs 1,154).

The Centre’s latest move is likely to keep a lid on open market prices. On Wednesday, wheat dara was quoting at Rs 1,060 a quintal in Delhi, which is marginally above the corresponding OMSS rate of Rs 1,027.

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