Muristek
New Delhi, April 13
Union Minister Piyush Goyal today blamed the global situation, including high oil prices, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the pandemic, for the price rise in the country. Speaking to the media, the Minister said the Narendra Modi government was taking all measures to control prices with duties on imports of several essential items like pulses virtually removed
Speaking on the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, which provides free ration to over 80 crore people, Goyal said the PM underlined his sensitivity to the poor and commitment to the welfare of the weaker sections of society with the programme.
The programme ensured that no citizen lacked food during the pandemic, he said, adding that India had set an example for the world with free ration to more than 80 crore people. Over 1,000 lakh tonnes of grains had been distributed at the cost of over Rs 3.40-lakh crore in the past 25 months. A recent IMF report said this helped in tackling poverty and inequality and brought down extreme poverty, he said
Earlier, the PM said the welfare of the poor was the top priority of his government to which it remained committed even during the pandemic. "The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana assured citizens that the government was standing with them in every trouble," he added.
Meanwhile, assuring adequate availability of grains in the country, the Minister said the PM had offered to supply from its stock to the world if the WTO gives permission. Terming as "historic and beyond imagination" the demand India had been receiving from various countries, he said the world was looking to India for grains.
Anywhere between 20-30 lakh tonnes of wheat had been exported in the past few weeks and a contract for export of 30-35 lakh tonnes of wheat been signed for April-June quarters, Goyal said.
Boom in wheat export
Between 20-30 lakh tonnes of wheat has been exported in the past few weeks and a contract for export of 30-35 lakh tonnes of wheat has been signed for April-June quarters. Wheat export jumped from two lakh tonnes to 20 lakh tonnes and then to 70 lakh tonnes in the last fiscal and is estimated to be over 100 lakh tonnes in this fiscal, Goyal said.