The Government of India is taking various measures to monitor rice prices, prevent hoarding and safeguard consumer interests. These include mandatory disclosure of rice stock positions, concurrence for imposition of stock limits in Southern States, additional allocation of 'Bharat Rice', and doubling the target quantity of rice under OMSS (D).
The Government of India is closely monitoring food grain prices, particularly rice, and undertaking a series of policy interventions to ensure adequate domestic supplies, maintain price stability, prevent hoarding and safeguard consumer interests. In this regard, the Government has issued an order dated 06.11.2026, directing all Traders/Wholesalers, Retailers, Big Chain Retailers and Processors/Millers across all States and Union Territories to declare their stock positions of rice and paddy under six categories. Any entity found unregistered on the Food Stock Portal or violating the prescribed stock limits shall be liable for appropriate punitive action under Sections 6 and 7 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. With a view to ensuring the availability of rice to consumers at reasonable prices, particularly in the Southern States, the Government of India has conveyed its concurrence to the State Governments of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana to impose stock limits on paddy and rice through appropriate control orders, wherever considered necessary. These stock limits shall remain in force up to 31st January 2027. The Central and State Governments will closely monitor the implementation of these measures to ensure adequate market availability and prevent hoarding and black marketing. The Government of India is also allocating additional quantities of ‘Bharat Rice’ to three agencies, NAFED, NCCF and Kendriya Bhandar with the objective of substantially expanding its sale and availability across the country, particularly in the Southern States.
Source:
Press Information Bureau
