New Delhi (PTI): The Centre on Friday said it has allocated over 2 lakh tonnes of additional wheat to 11 states, including Delhi, Assam, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Haryana and Punjab, for open sale to bulk consumers like flour millers.
"Keeping in view the requirement, a total additional quantity of 2.22 lakh tonnes has been allotted," an official statement said here.
The increased allocation for these states was, however, made after cutting the alloted quantity by 1.95 lakh tonnes in 14 states and union territories, sources said.
"We have cut the allocation in states where the offtake was low and transferred it to other states where demand is more," a senior official said.
The government has, for the second time, extended the scheme for open market sale of wheat by the Food Corporation of India to bulk consumers till February-end. It was originally meant for two months at the time of launch in October last year, but was later extended till January 31.
When the open market sale scheme was launched the total allocation for all the states was 9.72 lakh tonnes. Therefore now, only 27,500 tonnes of additional wheat has been provided under the OMSS, taking the total allocation to 10 lakh tonnes.
The states which have been rewarded with additional allocation are - Delhi (1,00,000 tonnes), Karnataka (25,000 tonnes), Tamil Nadu (30,000 tonnes), Assam (20,000 tonnes), Haryana, Orissa, Punjab and Uttarakhand (10,000 tonnes each), Chandigarh (3,500 tonnes), Puducherry (3,000 tonnes) and Goa (1,000 tonnes).
Maharashtra, among others, witnessed a cut in allocation by 45,000 tonnes, followed by Madhya Pradesh and Bihar by 30,000 tonnes each.
Under the scheme for the distribution of subsidised edible oils, states' demand for imported oils for supply through ration shops may gain momentum after the Centre's announcement to raise the subsidy by Rs 10 to Rs 25 a litre early this week.
Out of up to one million tonnes of imported edible oils targeted to be distributed under the subsidy scheme, orders have been placed for the import of 3.60 lakh tonnes.
About 3.52 lakh tonnes of edible oils have already landed in the country and about 2.05 lakh tonnes have so far been distributed to various states and Union territories.
