The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution on 1st November 2022, exempted the category of Wholesalers and Big Chain retailers from the current Stock Limit order with immediate effect.
The Government of India had issued a landmark order imposing stock limits on the oil and oilseeds put together through the Removal of Licensing Requirements, Stock Limits and Movement Restrictions on Specified Foodstuffs (Amendment) Order, 2021 effective from 08.10.2021. Under this Order, the ceiling of stock limit quantity was left to be decided by the respective States/Union Territories on the basis of available stock of oil and oilseeds and consumption pattern of the respective State/Union Territory. Subsequently, the stock limit quantities on edible oils and oilseeds was prescribed uniformly for all states and union Territories and the order was extended upto 30th June, 2022 and later it was extended upto 31.12.2022.
As the price situation of major edible oils is now witnessing a gradual reversal as there is considerable decline in the prices of edible oil in the international market as well as the domestic market, thestock limit order was reviewed by the department. A need wasfelt for exempting big chain retailers and wholesalers from the stock control order as reports were coming that Wholesalers and big chain retail outlets were facing problems in their sale due to the Control Order as the limits specified for them was very less and replacement of shelf stocks in city limits is not possible on everyday basis.
Therefore the Government issued notification for exempting the category of Wholesalers and Big Chain retailers from the current Stock Limit order. The removal of wholesalers and big chain retailers from the stock limit order would allow them to keep various varieties and brands of edible oils, which they are unable to keep at present due to stock control order.
