Centre to monitor quality of Bharat atta, dal, rice

Once certified by QCI, agencies will deploy QR codes and barcoding to ensure quality of food

- Puja Das & Dhirendra Kumar

The government plans to track and trace subsidized pulses, wheat flour and rice for their quality, two senior officials said, a move that could nip the practice of shifty traders mixing grit with kitchen staples.

The tracing system-to be developed by the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Ltd (NCCF) and the Quality Council of India (QCI)-will ensure the quality of these essential food items that are sold as the government's Bharat brand, and also prevent any diversion or malpractice, the officials told Mint.

Their quality has the personal stamp of approval from the minister for consumer affairs, food and public distribution, Piyush Goyal. He said at the launch of Bharat Rice on Tuesday, "Now I have purchased Bharat Rice. This will also be of good quality."

The move aligns with the government's substantial expenditure on food subsidies, pegged at ₹2.05 trillion for the coming financial year and ₹2.12 trillion in FY24, higher than the budgeted estimate of ₹1.97 trillion for the year.