Government launches subsidised tomato sale in Delhi-NCR amid price surge

In response to soaring tomato prices nationwide, the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution, Pralhad Joshi, has initiated a plan to sell tomatoes at a subsidised rate of Rs 60 per kilogram across various locations in Delhi-NCR.

This initiative, carried out through the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India (NCCF), aims to mitigate the financial burden on consumers and stabilise the market. Joshi announced, “From today onwards, subsidised tomatoes will be sold for Rs 60 per kg.”

The Centre has established a Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF) to manage food price volatility and safeguard consumer interests. Joshi elaborated, “Whenever a situation arises where the price of essential commodities increases, we utilise the PSF to procure these commodities directly from farmers. This reduces intermediary costs and ensures availability to consumers.” However, in this instance, the PSF was not used as tomatoes were directly sourced from mandis.

The subsidised tomatoes will be available at several strategic locations including 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, I.T.O, South Extension, Moti Nagar, Dwarka, Noida (Sector 14 and 76), Rohini, and Gurugram. Additional retail points may be added to increase consumer convenience.