Amid soaring prices of tomatoes, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Distribution Pralhad Joshi on Monday flagged off the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Limited (NCCF) vans which will provide tomatoes at Rs 60 per kg in Delhi-NCR.
The tomatoes will be sold in Delhi along with Noida and Gurgaon.
Talking to reporters, Joshi said that to check the surge of tomato prices in major cities, especially Delhi, the Department of Consumer Affairs of Government of India has decided to launch this initiative.
He said from today onwards subsidised tomatoes will be sold for Rs 60 per kg.
The Minister said that under the Narendra Modi-led government, the Centre has set up a Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF) to stabilise rising food prices and protect consumers’ interests.
“Whenever a situation arises, the price of essential commodities increase, we utilise the PSF to procure the commodities. These essential commodities are directly procured from farmers that reduces intermediary costs and ensure availability to consumers,” Joshi said, adding that in this case PSF was not utilised as tomatoes were directly procured from mandis.
He said that this initiative will ease tomato price, stabilise the market and provide tomatoes at subsidised rates to consumers.
The NCCF has initiated market intervention to stabilise rising tomato prices in the retail market. It is procuring tomatoes from wholesale mandis and selling them at reasonable retail prices.
Tomatoes will be sold at the rate of Rs 60 per kg at Rajiv Chowk Metro, Patel Chowk Metro, Nehru Place, Krishi Bhawan, CGO Complex, Lodhi Colony, Hauz Khas Head Office, Parliament Street, INA Market, Mandi House, Kailash Colony, ITO, South Extension, Moti Nagar, Dwarka, Noida (Sector 14 and 76), Rohini, Gurugram.