1 Uncorrected/ Not for publication- 08.12.2009 SSS-AKG/11.00/1A ...

223Uncorrected/ Not for publication- 08.12.2009price which has been paid to the farmers at Rs. 1000, that means Rs.1600 which is the cost of rice will ultimately reflect up to retail at thisprice. Similarly, of course, one point was raised in the House that theprice has gone up to Rs. 30 or Rs. 40 for per kg of rice. That is not theinformation which I have got from a number of the other districts. Thereis every possibility that there are some types of rice like Basmati orsome other good variety of rice. Prices are high but the prices which Iam quoting is of the common variety, and the common variety prices arehere only. Similar is the case with wheat. Though the minimum supportprice of wheat has gone up to Rs. 1100 per quintal but practically, wehave to pay 12 per cent market taxes, plus mandi charges, gunny bags,loading, unloading, transport, storage for acquisition cost in Punjab.Altogether, ultimately it goes up to Rs. 15 to Rs. 16. But the retail pricein Delhi market is Rs. 15 per kg. That is the latest price which we havegot about Delhi. Of course, there are some other places. In Mumbai, itis Rs. 19. In Trivandrum, it is something like Rs. 23 - Rs. 24 becausewe have to consider the total transport cost from Ludhiana or anydestination from Punjab and Haryana to Trivandrum or Chennai. Thathas to be added. That is why, comparatively, the prices of SouthernStates are always high. So, as I said, our position is still better becausewe have a record production, and last year, procurement was verygood. The stock of wheat and rice is, therefore, sufficient to meet thedemand of the public distribution system and all other welfare fund. Theprice of rice and wheat in the open market has been rising on accountof the minimum support price as I have already explained here.(Contd. by NBR/4H)