Answer: To ensure food security and control market prices during lean seasons
Notes: The Centre has allowed state governments to directly buy rice from the Food Corporation of India (FCI) without e-auctions under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS). The OMSS enables FCI to sell surplus wheat and rice from the central pool at predetermined prices to traders, bulk consumers, and states. This is in addition to maintaining buffer stocks for the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and other welfare schemes. The scheme aims to ensure food security and control market prices during lean seasons, especially in deficit regions. States can procure food grains for their needs beyond NFSA allocations.
